Ann Arbor's seasonal curbside compost collection program for 2018 begins on Monday, April 2 with weekly pickups (from paper yard waste bags, compost carts and bundled brush) on normal solid waste collection days. Curbside compost collection ends for the season on Friday, Dec. 7, 2018.
Fall leaves
Properly dispose of leaves using yard waste bags or compost carts. Leaves are not permitted in the street and will not be collected if pushed there. Both carts and compost bags are serviced during the compost collection season. The city added additional vehicles and staff for leaf pickup beginning on Monday, Oct. 8, 2018.
As fall turns to winter, consider these winter composting tips to keep your leaves, food scraps and other vegetation in check.
Compost carts
Wheeled compost carts are available to single family homes in Ann Arbor at a cost of $25 for a 96-gallon size.
- Carts can be delivered for an extra $25.
- Carts are required for storing grass clippings, plate scrapings and food waste.
- An additional compost cart can be purchased for an additional $50 per household
Paper yard waste bags may be used for yard waste such as leaves, weeds and other vegetation. Bundled, with twine, brush and tree limbs are also accepted if they are no longer than 4-feet and under 18 inches in diameter.
Carts are available for purchase and pickup at the City Hall Customer Service Center, 301 E. Huron Street, 1st floor. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Contact us with questions by email at customerservice@a2gov.org or phone at 734.994.7336.
*Carts exceeding 112
pounds for the 32-gallon, 224 pounds for the 64-gallon, or
336 pounds for the 96-gallon size will not be serviced.
**Compost bags exceeding 50 pounds will not be serviced.
Preparing compost and cart
Make sure to prepare your compost and compost cart properly for timely service and to avoid odors.
Acceptable compost materials
- Plate scrapings (including meat and bones), fruits, vegetables and other food waste*
- Grass clippings*
- Properly-contained leaves
- Garden pruning's, crab apples, garden surplus, etc.
- Brush
- Weeds
- Undecorated and cut up Christmas trees
- Halloween pumpkins
- Tree branches up to 6 inches in diameter
- BPI certified compostable bags/containers
*These items are only accepted in compost carts in order to avoid attracting wildlife, or creating odors and unsafe conditions of wet, overweight, broken bags at the curb. Items placed in compost carts do not need to be bagged or bundled.
Unacceptable compost materials
Do not place the following items in compost carts or paper yard waste bags:
- Refuse
- Dirt
- Sawdust
- Rocks, stones or gravel
- Branches over 6 inches in diameter or over 4 feet in length
- Painted wood
- Treated lumber
- Plastic bags or containers
- Kitty litter or dog waste
- Diapers
Yard waste
Ann Arbor residents may deliver acceptable yard waste materials, at no charge, to the City of Ann Arbor Compost Center located at 4170 Platt Road Monday thru Friday, from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m. In order to drop off yard waste, a valid City of Ann Arbor driver's license or a recent water bill is required. The yard waste limit is 1 cubic yard per household.
Residents must visit the scale house before and after dropping off yard waste in order to verify material weights. Follow the signs for the scale house after entering on Platt Road. City landlords, owners of multiple single-family properties and businesses are not eligible for this program.
