Compost

Tour of Ann Arbor's Compost Facility

Coming up on Friday, September 19th at 10 a.m.!

What: Residents are invited to tour the Ann Arbor Compost Facility for a behind-the-scenes look at how Ann Arbor’s leaves, grass, branches and food scraps are transformed into valuable compost. This event is part of the Great Michigan Compost Tour, a statewide initiative highlighting the vital role composting plays in sustainable waste management and soil health.

Tour attendees will have the opportunity to observe industrial-scale composting in action. Whether you’re a backyard composter or curious about what happens to the material in your cart and bags once they leave the curb, this is a great opportunity to learn how it works!

When: Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Where: Ann Arbor Compost Center, 4170 Platt Rd, Ann Arbor, 48108. Upon arrival, please use the bypass lane to the right of the drive-on scale and continue straight until you see the Compost Center on your left-hand side.

Please note, the tour is outdoors in a working compost facility and conditions will likely be dusty or muddy, depending on weather. Closed-toe shoes are required for all attendees, and long pants are encouraged. If possible, please also wear a high-visibility vest.

Fall Leaf Collection Season Begins Oct. 6

Yard bag limit expansion

Beginning on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, residents may set out up to 20 paper yard bags per collection day instead of the normal limit of 10. Individual bags must not exceed 50 pounds. Residents are also encouraged to use compost carts for fall leaves.

Unlimited drop off for leaves

The Ann Arbor compost facility, 4170 Platt Road, will accept unlimited leaf drop offs from residents or their landscapers beginning Oct. 6 for the fall 2025 season. The facility, operated by WeCare Denali, is normally open weekdays 7 a.m.–4 p.m. To drop off, visitors must provide verification of Ann Arbor residency. Leaves from properties outside the City of Ann Arbor do not qualify for this free service.

Dealing with yard material at home

There are options outside of paper yard bags and compost carts to make use of leaves, branches and other material from your yard. Learn about dead wood gardens, backyard composting, and other alternative options here.

Free wood chips

The City of Ann Arbor has made free wood chips available to residents at three locations around the city. Residents are required to load and haul the material away themselves. The wood chips will be available until November or while supplies last. Locations for free wood chip pickup include:

Veterans Memorial Park, 2150 Jackson Ave
Bicentennial Park (formerly Southeast Area Park), 2901 East Ellsworth Road
Gallup Park boat launch, 3000 Fuller Park Road (boat launch entrance off Geddes Road)

Residential Compost Carts

The city offers single-family residential properties one free 64-gallon compost cart.

The first 64-gallon compost cart is free to new customers, new construction or newly annexed properties.
One-time $61 fee for each additional compost cart at the same address, which is added to the quarterly water bill.
$63 fee for acquisition of carts, return of unwanted carts, or cart exchanges.
$29 to power wash ALL returned carts.
$63 to return to service each cart not set out on time.

To order a cart and arrange for pick up or delivery, please contact the customer service center at 734.994.7336 or via customerservice@a2gov.org.

Carts exceeding 224 pounds for the 64-gallon, or 336 pounds for the 96-gallon size will not be serviced.

Same Program, New Look!

New compost carts now come with bright green lids. These new lids are part of a citywide effort to improve curbside collection and reduce contamination in the compost stream.

Please note: Your compost cart will not be replaced with a new green-lidded version unless it is damaged or otherwise needs replacement. Even then, lid replacements will continue to come from our current inventory of black lids. Once depleted, all new carts and lid replacements will feature green lids.

What can I place in my compost cart?

Plate scrapings & food waste (including meat & bones)*
Coffee grounds & paper filters*
Food-soiled paper*
CMA-W certified compostable products*
Grass clippings*
Leaves & brush
Branches less than 6 inches diameter (must fit in cart with lid closed)
Unpainted, untreated lumber (must fit in cart with lid closed)
Weeds
Undecorated & cut up Christmas trees
Garden pruning, garden surplus, crab apples, etc.
Used, cool wood ashes make great garden and flower bed fertilizer. If you aren't able to use them there, then please place in compost cart.

*Items for compost carts only.

Composting Guidelines (PDF)

Plastic bags or containers
BPI certified or other "compostable" plastic like products
Bamboo or palm leaf products
Glass
Trash and recyclables
Dirt, rocks, stones or gravel
Sawdust
Branches over 6 inches in diameter or over 4 feet in length
Painted or treated wood
Animal waste or cat litter
Tree stumps
Diapers

Paper Yard Bags and Bundled Branches/Brush

Paper yard bags and bundled brush/tree limbs can be used for yard trimmings such as leaves, weeds and other vegetation. From April through Oct. 7, there is a 10 bag per-property limit, which expands to 20 for fall leaf season starting on Monday, Oct. 7. Each bag must weigh less than 50 pounds.

Branches, tree limbs and brush are collected at the curb but must be under 4' in length. Brush and branches must be tied together in a bundle with natural twine not exceeding 18" in diameter. Individual tree limbs must not exceed 6" in diameter.

Participating residents must place their compostable material at the curb before 7 a.m. on their weekly waste collection day — at least 3 feet away from curbside carts. Bags should not be placed in lanes of travel, either roads or bike lanes, instead using yard extensions or buffer zones as directed.  

Dumping yard trimmings/waste in parks or other public places is not allowed. Please make use of the drop-off facility mentioned below.

Compost Facility and Drop-Offs

Ann Arbor's compost facility is located at 4170 Platt Road. The facility is operated by WeCare Denali, normally open weekdays 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturdays between April 13 and June 29, 7 a.m.–11 a.m. To drop off or purchase materials, visitors must utilize the automated scale system, which for contractors includes weighing in and out. Residents need only to weigh in, and may use the bypass lane to exit, skipping weighing out.

Residents can deliver 1 cubic yard per household per day of acceptable yard trimmings and food waste, at no charge, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.–4 p.m., with a valid driver’s license showing a city address.

Acceptable Drop-Off Materials

Grass, leaves, other vegetation – must be clean and free of brush/wood
Mixed yard trimmings/brush/pallets (no plywood or OSB)
Wood chips – must be clean
Branches up to 6 inches in diameter, and up to 4 feet in length
Food waste – including meat & bones

Unlimited Leaf Drop-Off Season

The Ann Arbor compost facility will accept unlimited leaf drop offs from residents and their landscapers beginning Oct. 7 for the fall 2024 season. To drop off, visitors must provide verification of Ann Arbor residency. Leaves from properties outside the city of Ann Arbor do not qualify for this free service.

Materials for Sale

Compost
Natural wood mulch
Pallet mulch
Woodchips

Payments may be made by check or credit card only. Please call WeCare Denali at 410-849-6117 for current fees and pricing. No cash accepted.

Free Compost & Mulch

Ann Arbor residents can get free compost and/or mulch from April 12 to June 28, 2025, or until supplies run out. Visit the compost facility on Saturdays, 7 a.m.–11 a.m., with a valid driver's license showing an address within the City of Ann Arbor. You can collect up to 1 cubic yard of compost/mulch per household, equivalent to three paper yard bags. Bring your own shovel and containers.

Tips

Old grass clippings and food scraps can produce strong odors, especially during our hottest months. You can prevent odors by following these tips:

Sprinkle baking soda in compost cart and in your kitchen composter.
Store compost cart in the shade during warm weather..
Empty the contents of kitchen composter into your compost cart frequently.
Drain as much liquid as possible from food scraps before adding them to compost.
For extra-smelly food scraps: wrap in newspaper before placing in cart or put in the freezer until collection day.
Layer food scraps in between yard trimmings.
Rinse out kitchen composter and compost cart before materials build up.
Spray inside of compost cart with a vinegar and water solution.

For winter composting, the colder temperatures mean changing up how to put material in carts. To prevent materials from freezing to your cart, follow these tips:

Drain as much liquid as possible from food scraps.
Place an opened paper yard-waste bag inside of the compost cart to catch food scraps.
Place a couple pieces of flattened cardboard (1-2 large pizza boxes are perfect) at the bottom of the compost cart before adding waste. This buffer at the bottom of the cart allows the materials to slide out more easily and not freeze to the cart.
Place materials in a paper or CMA-W certified bag from the city's list and into your compost cart. It is advised that food scraps be double bagged during the winter to prevent them from freezing to the cart.
Wrap wet items (e.g., coffee grounds, melon rinds) in 1-2 sheets of compostable paper towels before placing into the compost cart.

If material is frozen to the cart when the city attempts service, it will not be serviced again until the first full week of the following month.

There are ways to manage yard waste without yard bags or compost carts! Here are a few alternatives to disposing of compost material at the curb:

Use a mulching mower to feed grass clippings and leaves back into your lawn.
Create a compost pile. Washtenaw County's composting webpage can teach you the basics of getting started.
Loose leaves can be left on the ground. They return nutrients to trees while providing cover for important pollinators, fireflies, and other insects.
Create a dead wood garden with limbs and branches you might otherwise discard. Even that old holiday tree you pulled out of your house could be used. These gardens not only fertilize the underlying soil, they become homes for beneficial insects, birds and fungi.
Consider replacing your grass with a rain garden stocked with native plants! This means no mowing and little maintenance. Rain gardens have the added benefit of capturing pollution before it entering our streams and rivers, as well as helping replenish groundwater supplies. As a bonus, adding a rain garden can help you save money by making you eligible for a stormwater credit!

Leaf Burning: Illegal & Bad for Human Health

Burning leaves produces particulate matter that is harmful to human health and the environment. The State of Michigan and City of Ann Arbor law make it illegal to burn leaves within city limits.