Yard Waste materials such as leaves, grass clippings, and branches are collected curbside weekly from residential homes in the City of Gainesville. Only residential homes serviced through the City of Gainesville's Residential Curbside Service Program are eligible for this service.
Weekly yard waste collection anticipates volumes from the routine upkeep and maintenance of residential yard work performed by the homeowner(s) or occupant(s). Larger volumes of material generated from land clearing activities, larger tree debris piles, and storm debris piles may require additional collection time. Tree debris generated from work performed by tree service contractors (i.e., tree surgeons or landscapers) must be hauled off by the contractor per City of Gainesville Ordinance Ch. 27-73.11.
- Place your yard waste curbside for collection by 7 AM on your scheduled collection day (same day as your garbage collection day).
Accepted
- Bundled piles weighing no more that 40lbs
- Six cubic yard limit - that is 6 piles 3ft x 3ft x 3ft
- Leaves - containerized in a paper bag or reusable container
- Grass clippings - containerized in a paper bag or reusable container
- Small twigs & vines - containerized in a paper bag or reusable container
- Branches (less than 5 ft. long, 8 in. in diameter, and 40 lbs. per piece)
- Palm fronds & larger size hedge trimmings (less than 5 ft.long)
- Fallen fruit, pine needles & pinecones - containerized
- Dead plants & flowers (removed from pots) - containerized if small
- Christmas trees (in December & January) - No lights, tinsels, or ornaments
Not Accepted
❌ NO Large piles of yard waste - must be set out to be collected in one motion by a person
❌ NO lumber or pressure-treated wood
❌ NO yard waste set out in plastic bags
❌ NO branches over 5 ft. long, 8 in. in diameter, or 40 lbs. per piece
❌ NO dirt, sand, soil, or sod
❌ NO potted plants
❌ NO animal bedding or animal waste
❌ NO rocks, bricks, or stone
❌ NO tree debris generated from work performed by tree service contractors
❌ NO boxes
❌ NO stumps
Pro Prep Tips
- Consider drilling drainage holes in the bottom of your personal yard waste containers to allow rainwater to escape.
- Avoid placing your paper yard waste bags, containers, or piles in the street, as this may result in materials entering and then clogging storm drains. Blocked storm drains can increase the potential for flooding and mosquitoes in your neighborhood. Yard waste materials in brown paper bags or piles should be set out curbside as near as possible to the traveled portion of the street without being placed in the street.
- Keep paper yard waste bags dry by waiting to place them out for collection curbside until the day before your scheduled collection day. Paper bags set out multiple days before your collection day are more likely to get rained on and become soggy.
- Avoid overfilling yard waste bags or personal containers with mulch, pine bark or other heavy materials. Containers weighing more than 40 pounds will not be collected.
- Place paper yard waste bags upright when setting them out for collection.
- Set your yard waste bags, containers, and/or piles within four (4) feet of the curb or the traveled edge of the road. Yard waste set back more than four (4) feet cannot be collected.
- Containers weighing more than 40 pounds will not be collected.
- All yard waste must be free of garbage, litter, or other non-regulated yard waste. Do not set out unacceptable yard waste materials, such as lumber, boards, or other manufactured materials for yard waste collection.
❌ Do not set out piles of larger branches mixed with brush or leaves.
❌ Do not set out potted plants with dirt or soil attached.
- Personal reusable yard waste containers does not include orange or blue recycle bins. Orange and blue recycle bins are provided to households for the sole purpose of holding bottles, cans, cardboard, and other papers for recycling collection. The City of Gainesville reserves the right to remove recycle bins not used for their intended purpose.
Larger branches may be set out curbside in manageably-sized piles for hand collection.
❌ Do not set out piles of larger branches mixed with brush or leaves.
- Branches set out for collection can be no longer than 5 feet in length, no larger than 8 inches in diameter, or weigh no more than 40 pounds per piece. Additionally, each pile must weigh no more than 40lbs each.
- Do not set out branches in piles exceeding 40lbs in weight. Multiple smaller, manageably-sized branch piles will more efficient for collection crews and is required for collection.
- All pieces within larger piles must still be less than 5 feet in length, no larger than 8 inches in diameter, and weigh no more than 40 pounds per pile or container.
Per City of Gainesville Ordinance (Ch. 27-76 (b)(2))
- Yard waste. Yard waste that is properly bundled or containerized in such manner to enable one person to lift the yard waste in a single lifting movement to place same in the compaction truck, and which bundles or containers do not exceed 40 pounds in weight and five feet in length, will be collected at curb or roadside. If tree or shrubbery trimmings are not containerized they may be placed at curbside in a compact pile not containing any items exceeding 40 pounds in weight and five feet in length and will be picked up. Grass, leaves and pine straw must be containerized by either using disposable or reusable containers, and will be collected if properly placed for collection at curb or roadside.
Per City of Gainesville Ordinance (Ch. 27-73.11)
- It is unlawful for any person to produce tree debris while acting in the capacity of a contractor without removing the debris generated from that work. Homeowners need to ensure that the removal of tree debris is included in fees for any work performed. Homeowners that opt to arrange for the removal of tree debris on their own should be aware that residential curbside collection service does not include the removal of oversized material or tree debris generated from work performed by contractors.
- Lawn & leaf bags or personal containers weighing more than 40 pounds cannot be collected. Loose yard waste materials set out in piles cannot be collected.
- Branches set out for collection can be no longer than 5 feet in length, no larger than 8 inches in diameter, or weigh no more than 40 pounds per piece.
- Allow at least 4 feet of clearance between your trash cart and any yard waste bags, containers, or piles you set out for collection.
- There is a six cubic yard limit each week on the amount of yard waste that can be set out curbside for collection. Weekly yard waste collection anticipates volumes from the routine upkeep and maintenance of residential yard work performed by the homeowner or occupant. Larger volumes of material generated from land clearing activities, larger tree debris piles, and storm debris piles will not get collected.
- Tree debris generated from work performed by tree service contractors (tree surgeons, lawn service companies, or any hired service) must be hauled off by the contractor (City of Gainesville Ordinance Ch. 27-73.11).
Brown paper lawn & leaf bags can be purchased at most hardware stores (Ace, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) and many grocery stores (Publix, Walmart, Winn-Dixie, Target, etc.).
The elimination of plastic bags from the yard waste significantly reduces the cost of processing and reusing the yard waste. Also, getting rid of plastic bags results in a reduction in greenhouse gasses generated in the manufacturing of plastic bags in the first place.
❌ Yard waste set out for collection in plastic bags or placed loose on tarps will not be collected. Residents setting out yard waste in plastic bags will need to remove the yard waste from the plastic bags or arrange for a special collection that will include additional fees.
❌ Paper lawn & leaf bags containing tape or staples will not be collected. Tape and staples are not compostable.
Below are examples of yard waste material improperly set out for residential curbside collection.
❌ Loose leaves or pine needles set out in piles cannot be collected. Material must be containerized.
❌ Oversized yard waste material. Branches set out for collection can be no longer than 5 feet in length, no larger than 8 inches in diameter, or weigh no more than 40 pounds per piece.
❌ Yard waste set back more than four (4) feet from the curb cannot be collected. Be sure to set your yard waste bags, containers, and/or piles within four (4) feet of the curb or the traveled edge of the road.
Residential yard waste is collected within the City of Gainesville on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. To find out the collection day for your address, click on the map below.
Most of the yard waste material collected curbside goes to a local facility where it gets made into a partially composted soil enrichment for land use applications. Some larger branch only piles may go to a different facility to be ground up and made into wood chips.
Tree debris generated from work performed by tree service contractors (i.e., tree surgeons or landscapers) must be hauled off by the contractor per City of Gainesville Ordinance Ch. 27-73.11.
Local companies specializing in tree debris removal: