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Residents should anticipate slower collection service than in past years.

On Monday, April 6, 2020 the Streets Division will begin curbside yard waste pickup.

Residents should anticipate slower collection service than in past years.

Collection depends on staff availability. In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Streets Division will adjust crew responsibilities to ensure critical operations like trash and recycling collection continue uninterrupted. Crews may need to be reassigned from yard waste pickup to perform crucial services, resulting in delays.

There will still be two curbside pickup opportunities during spring. After both collection opportunities occur, curbside yard waste collection will end for the summer months. Curbside yard waste collection will return in the fall for leaf collection season.

What is Yard Waste?
Yard waste is plant material. Examples include pulled weeds, fallen leaves, and other plant debris. Yard waste also includes pumpkins, crabapples, black walnuts, pine cones, vines, and even twigs that are less than 18 inches long.

Woody material trimmed from trees, shrubs, and bushes is brush. Brush and yard waste are separate collection services.

When Do I Set Out Yard Waste for Collection?
Go to the Streets Division’s yard waste website and click on the blue Pickup Schedule button.

Once on the map page, if your neighborhood is shaded green for “Pickup Pending,” you should prepare your yard waste for collection. Crews will be around soon to collect what is out.

The Pickup Schedule is updated at the end of each work day when curbside collection is active. Residents wishing to know the most current information regarding the whereabouts of crews and the collection status of their neighborhood should check the Pickup Schedule website regularly.

Following the Pickup Schedule’s map’s guidance will ensure the yard waste is out to the curb before crews arrive so residents should not miss their two spring opportunities.

The map cannot provide a date as to when the actual collection from the curb will take place. Progress of collection crews depends on the amount of material set to the curb, crew & equipment availability, and weather.

Residents can also call the brush and yard waste collection hotline at 608-267-2088.

How Yard Waste Should Be Prepared for Collection
When setting out yard waste, residents can pile the material loose on the terrace or curbside. Residents can also place yard waste into compostable paper bags.

If bags are used, they must be open at the top. Yard waste can also be placed under a tarp to prevent it from blowing into the street.

Do not place yard waste in the street or gutter.

Yard waste in the street creates a nutrient-rich runoff that leads to algae blooms and weed growth in the lakes. Yard waste piles in the street can also clog storm drains, which may lead to street ponding during rainstorms.

Yard waste piles should be placed away from obstructions such a trees, utilities poles, mailboxes, and fire hydrants.

And, do not mix brush with yard waste. Brush is a separate collection process than yard waste. Piles of brush and yard waste folded together will not be collected.

More information about preparing yard waste for pickup can be found on the Streets Division website, or by watching the “How to Prepare Yard Waste for Pick-Up” video on the City of Madison YouTube channel.

Drop-off Sites Remain Closed
The drop-off sites at 1501 W. Badger Rd, 4602 Sycamore Ave, and 402 South Point Rd remain closed to the public.

The sites will reopen once the Safer at Home Order has been lifted.

Additional Information
For more information regarding the yard waste collection and other Streets Division services, please visit www.cityofmadison.com/streets.
 

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