Yard Waste

Items Considered to be Yard Waste

Brush Debris—shrubs cut up, bushes cut up, vines, root balls

Fruit Debris—apples, pears, bananas, watermelons, cantaloupes, fruit peelings

Tree Debris—leaves, tree seed pods, acorns, walnuts, hickory nuts, hedge apples

Vegetable Garden Debris—tomato plants, lettuce, bean vines, raspberry or strawberry plants, herbs, pumpkins, corn and corn husks, vegetable peelings

Yard Debris—grass clippings, lawn rakings, weeds, ornamental grasses, garden and house plants, flowers


Automated Yard Waste Collection

The City of Cedar Falls offers it residents the opportunity to participate in an automated yard waste collection program. The city provides brown yard waste carts to residents to use. This program is not mandatory and residents are charged $10 on a per dump basis.  April, October and November are charged $5 on a per dump basis. There is no fee or deposit to have a yard waste cart. All yard waste must be in a brown yard waste cart in order for the city to collect from curbside.

Each yard waste cart has a radio frequency tag attached to the front. This tag has a unique number and is assigned to a specific address. Each time the cart is dumped, the tag is scanned with a date and a time stamp. The fee is added to the resident's utility bill each time the cart is emptied. There is no monthly fee to have the cart.

Yard waste is collected curbside on Monday's in the months of April, May, June, October and November. From July through September carts will be picked up on Mondays every other week. Collection will vary due to the amount of yard waste placed at the curb. If your yard waste cart was missed on Monday please call the Public Works office by 10:00am on Tuesday. From December through March residents must call 273-8629 to schedule a pick up for yard waste. Residents can call after hours with their address to schedule a pick up for the following Monday.

Yard waste carts must be kept for one year. If you decide you no longer need your yard waste cart before the one year requirement you will be charged a $20 fee. We are unable to deliver yard waste carts just for the reduced fee collection months.

Yard Waste Carts

  • Cart must be curbside / alley by 7 am
  • Do not to over pack your cart-Limit 250 pounds.
  • Please do not put dirt, sod, or ashes in the yard waste carts
  • Leave three feet between other carts or any other object
  • Please do not pack your yard waste carts too tight, this makes it difficult for the trucks to empty the carts completely.
  • Do not place hot or warm ashes into yard waste cart. If cart is melted or burnt homeowner is responsible for buying a new one.
  • Grass leach ate / ooze will stain your driveway, sidewalk or patio if it is not hosed off immediately.
  • The yard waste cart will smother grass. In between collections, set yard waste cart on a paved, cement or gravel area, patio stone, or in a flower bed.
  • The yard waste cart may smell if stored in an enclosed area. Consider leaving the yard waste cart outside.
  • The yard waste cart should be rinsed out periodically to reduce odors and remove stuck materials.
  • It must be set out with the arrows facing the street.

Yard Waste Bags

  • Paper biodegradable yard waste bags will no longer be collected curbside. You may dispose them at the transfer station or at the compost facility (when open).

Transfer Station

Yard waste may also be taken to the Transfer Station in any type of container during regular hours. There is a nominal fee of $0.75 per bag or $29.50 per ton for yard waste deposited at the Transfer Station.  Under 400 pounds will be a $7.00 minimum charge.