Winter composting
Learn what it takes to deal with your compost cart over the winter
here.
Dealing with leaves, compost, yard trimmings and organic material at home
Check out our tips page for suggestions on how to deal with yard material and ideas for those who want to explore alternatives to disposing of compost material at the curb.
Compost carts
The City is offering 64 or 96 gallon size compost carts. Residents can pick one up for free or one can be delivered for $59. The first cart is free, addional carts will be charged the additional cart fee. To order or pick up a cart, please first contact the Customer Service Center by phone at 734.994.7336, or via email at customerservice@a2gov.org.
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.
Acceptable compost materials
- Plate scrapings and food waste (including meat and bones)*
- Bamboo dinnerware*
- Grass clippings*
- BPI certified compostable bags, containers, silverware, etc.
- Leaves and 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 and cut up Christmas trees
- Garden pruning, garden surplus, crab apples, etc.
*Items for optional compost carts only.
Unacceptable compost materials
- Plastic bags or containers
- 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 brush/tree limbs
Paper yard bags may be used for yard trimmings such as leaves, weeds and other vegetation. Bundled brush or tree limbs, four feet or less, can be tied with natural twine in bundles up to 18 inches in diameter, can be left at the curb for pickup. Individual tree limbs must be less than 6 inches in diameter.
As bags can be difficult to
service at times while also posing a greater injury and health risk to staff,
we are encouraging all composters, who can, to take advantage of carts. If you
must use paper yard bags, please don’t overload them.
If you can’t lift it comfortably, neither can city staff.
Preparing compost and cart
Make sure to prepare your compost and compost cart properly for timely service and to avoid odors.
Yard material drop-off and sales
Ann Arbor's compost facility is located at 4170 Platt Road. The facility is operated by WeCare Denali, and open weekdays 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Saturdays between April and June from 8 a.m. to noon.
Ann Arbor residents may deliver 1 cubic yard per household, per day of acceptable yard trimmings and food waste, at no charge, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. A valid city of Ann Arbor driver's license or a recent water bill is required for this free service.
Acceptable drop-off materials include:
- 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
- Food waste
- Branches up to 6 inches in diameter
In addition, residents can purchase material. Sales from the facility are per cubic yard, and customers must weigh in and out.
Materials for sale include:
- Compost
- Natural wood mulch
- Pallet mulch
- Woodchips
Payments may be made by check or credit card only. Please visit WeCare Denali, or call 734.794.6380, for current fees and pricing. No cash accepted.
Compost facility tours
*The city's compost facility is currently closed for tours until further notice. Tours of Ann Arbor's composting facility are available to the public. Located at 4150 Platt Road in Ann Arbor, each 1 hour tour will include a description of industrial composting, overview of the equipment and facility as well as a look at the finished compost product. Tours start at noon on the second Wednesday of the month with one Saturday tour as noted below. There will also be tours during the Department of Public Work's Open House in October. Date to be determined.
For more information on the tours, please contact Don
Butynski 734.489.4518 or dbutynski@wecareorganics.com.
