Yard Waste Mandatory in Paper Yard Waste Bags

Yard waste including grass, leaves, soil, sod and small branches, must be placed in paper yard waste bags.

Beginning April 29 and continuing until the end of November, yard material in paper yard waste bags will be collected on the same day as a resident’s recycling day. Yard waste in plastic bags will not be collected.

All of the paper bagged yard waste will be composted on-site at Robin Hood Bay. Paper yard waste bags can also be put in a yard waste bin at the Residential Drop Off at Robin Hood Bay Waste Management Facility, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays to Saturdays.

In fall 2018, the City held its second year of a mandatory leaf collection program in which leaves put at the curb for disposal had to be in paper yard waste bags. The program was a success with over 700 tonnes of leaves collected in paper yard waste bags, resulting in a savings of approximately $47,320 in disposal fees that otherwise would have been charged to the City of St. John’s by the Robin Hood Bay Regional Waste Management Facility.

There are many positive benefits to implementing mandatory paper bag use for yard waste, including:
• Reduced costs for disposal fees
• More room in carts as part of the automated collection program
• Extending the life of the landfill by keeping materials that can be composted out

Residents can use paper yard waste bags for leaves, grass clippings, plants and trimmings, soil and branches less than 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in diameter. Bags weighing more than 22.5 kilograms (50 pounds), containing rocks or branches greater than 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) diameter will not be collected.

Residents are reminded that most yard waste can be mulched or composted in a residential setting; learn at www.curbitstjohns.ca.

The City of St. John’s is committed to a city that is sustainable today and for future generations; economically, environmentally and financially. Diverting additional waste from the landfill is identified in the Our City, Our Future 2019 Action Plan under the goal to preserve and enhance the natural and built environment.