The city's residential, seasonal curbside Compostable collection program runs throughout the growing season from Monday, April 5, 2010 through November 30, 2010. Materials must be set at the curb before 7 a.m. on the weekly residential curbside collection day.
Compost must be prepared for municipal collection in any of the following methods
:
30-gallon paper bags
Place yard debris into large paper bags, available from local retailers. Each paper bag may weigh up to 50 pounds. Plastic bags are not accepted for storing compostables (plastic bags are acceptable for storing refuse inside of A2 Carts or dumpsters).
Bundles
Branches under six inches in diameter may be cut into 3-4 foot lengths and tied with twine into bundles up to 18 inches in diameter. Each bundle may weigh up to 50 pounds.
NEW! Optional Compost Carts (may also be used for fruit and vegetable food waste, grass clippings)
The city sells special wheeled carts for compost collection. Uncooked fruit and vegetable waste as well as grass clippings are accepted for municipal compost collection ONLY in Compost carts. Full cart ordering information is provided here.
Labeled 33-gallon trash cans are no longer accepted for Compostable materials, effective Tuesday, July 1, 2008.
Find out how to purchase an optional compost cart here.
Acceptable Compostable Materials
Includes materials such as: properly-contained leaves, garden prunings, weeds, crab apples, Halloween pumpkins, uncooked vegetable and fruit food waste, and tree branches up to 6 inches in diameter. NEW! Grass clippings and uncooked fruit and vegetable food wastes are accepted only in compost carts (2-page PDF program summary) Also see more information in the column to the right.
Unacceptable Compostable Materials
Do not place the following items in the compost carts: refuse, stones, food waste, branches over 6 inches in diameter or over 4 feet in length, painted wood, treated lumber, plastic bags, plastic containers, materials improperly prepared for collection, and prohibited materials. No meat, fish, bones, cooked foods, dairy products, (milk, cheese, yogurt, sauces), oils, animal wastes, kitty litter, dog droppings, diapers.
To avoid attracting wildlife, or creating odors and unsafe conditions of wet, overwight, broken bags at the curb, grass clippings and food wastes are not accepted in paper bags--these items must be placed inside compost carts.
Free Drop-Off of Compost for A2 Residents
Ann Arbor residents may drop-off up to 1 cubic yard (6 paper yard waste bags) per visit of acceptable yard waste, uncooked fruit and vegetable food waste, and grass clippings at no charge at the Wheeler Service Center during hours of operation. Residents check in at the MRF scalehouse, 4150 Platt, (734) 794-6380, before delivering materials to the designated area.
Municipally-produced compost and mulch are available for sale at the Wheeler Service Center, 4150 Platt Road, (734) 971-8600 and at the Drop-Off Station, 2950 E. Ellsworth (734) 971-7400. Page link with more details.
This program is transitioning this year from two street leaf pickups each fall to weekly curbside collection through the Compostables progra, provided from April through the end of November. More fall leaf management information is linked here (opens to a new Web page)
Holiday Evergreen Tree Collection
Christmas trees are collected from the curbside on the normal weekly refuse days during a one-week period January 18-22, 2010. All stands, nails, ornaments, lights, tinsel and plastic bags must be removed and discarded before placing out for collection. The trees are chipped and composted or used as mulch. Any metal, glass or plastic may ruin the processing equipment, harm the operators, and spoil the landscaping mulch.
Evergreen trees may be dropped off 24-hours/day at the parking lot adjacent to the Drop-Off Station, 2950 E. Ellsworth, from mid-December through January. After January 30, Christmas trees must be delivered to the Drop-Off Station during operating hours for a small fee. A press release on 2009 Christmas tree recycling options is posted here.
Wreaths and evergreen roping are generally made with wire or plastic backing and should be placed with the trash inside the A2 Cart. If the wreath is too large, please disassemble it to fit into the trash cart. Thank you!
Qs? Contact customerservice@a2gov.org