How to recycle/dispose of yard trim (leaves, grass, brush)

Curbside collection: Weekly - recycling
County facilities accepting yard trim (leaves, grass, brush):
 Shady Grove Processing Facility & Transfer Station

• Use our grasscycling education advertisements
• Dispose of rubber mulch as trash

It's easy to recycle yard trimmings by grasscycling or composting. (We offer compost bins at no charge.)

Curbside leaf vacuuming is offered in a number of County areas during the fall. Vacuuming is provided by the County's Division of Highway Services.

Or, place yard trimmings at the curb for collection. If you receive Montgomery County-provided recycling collection, your yard trim pickups are made weekly on your recycling day. Yard trim is collected year-round.

You can bag it...

Please place leaves, grass, brush, and other yard trimmings in large paper yard trim bags (available at most grocery stores, home improvement stores, and garden centers). The total weight of the bag must be 45 pounds or less.

Please do not use paper grocery or shopping bags for yard trim collection.

Or can it...

Save money and use reusable containers, such as trash cans.

Cans must be marked with a County-provided "Yard Trim" label to ensure proper collection.Use the free Yard Trim labels available at Montgomery County libraries, by ordering online or by calling Montgomery County's Customer Service Center at 311 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556). Be sure the label faces the street.

Total weight CANNOT exceed 45 pounds per container.

Or bundle it...

Brush can also be tied into bundles with twine. Bundles should not exceed 30 inches in diameter. Each branch should not be larger than 4 feet in length, and 4 inches in diameter. Total weight must be 45 pounds or less per bundle.

Sorry:

• No dirt/soil, rocks or sod
• No rootballs or tree stumps
• We accept rootballs and stumps directly at our Solid Waste Transfer Station. Note the bulky material size limits. Trash fee schedule may apply.
• No lumber

What happens to the yard trim we collect?

We compost leaves and grass at our Compost Facility. After the finished compost is screened, the material is sold under the brand name Leafgro.

We grind brush into mulch, available at no charge at our Neighborhood Mulch Preserve locations.

"How to recycle/dispose of..." Index

This information last updated 5/10/2013.