Acceptable Yard Waste
Minnesota State law, 115A.931(a), prohibits disposing of yard waste with garbage. The City of Minneapolis South Transfer Station does not accept yard waste.
Customers of Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling services may place yard waste next to their garbage cart. Yard waste is collected on garbage day mid-April through November, weather permitting. It is collected by a special truck, not your regular garbage truck. Solid Waste & Recycling "Current News" will tell you when yard waste season begins and ends each year.
Acceptable Yard Waste Includes
- Acorns
- Branches
- Brush
- Garden Plants
- Grass Clippings
- Hay
- Leaves
- Pine Cones
- Pine Needles
- Prunings from bushes or trees
- Tree Bark
- Tree Debris
- Twigs
- Woodchips
Yard waste needs to be prepared according to the Yard Waste Preparation Guidelines in order for it to be picked up.
Unacceptable Yard Waste
- Branches wider than 3 inches in diameter and/or longer than 3 feet
- Dirt or Soil
- Sawdust*
- Sod (with soil or dirt attached)
- Stumps
- Trees
* Sawdust from untreated wood is a great carbon source for backyard compost piles.
How to Get Rid of Unacceptable Yard Waste
Search the yellow pages for a local landscaping or tree removal company if your yard waste does not meet Solid Waste & Recycling Preparation Guidelines. If you would like to take your yard waste to a commercial facility and pay a fee for its disposal, call Solid Waste & Recycling at (612) 673-2917 for locations that accept yard waste.
If you have questions regarding the acceptability of yard waste items not listed on this webpage, contact Solid Waste & Recycling at (612) 673-2917.
Last updated Apr 13, 2020
