Birmingham, AL Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

2 controls where that material can be set out: 'All yard rubbish to be removed by the city shall be placed either between the sidewalk and curb or in an accessible place approved by the director of the department of public works,' and placing it in a right-of-way or alley in a way that doesn't comply with the chapter is itself unlawful. 1: yard rubbish must be enclosed in approved containers to be picked up, with no container-count limit, while unbaggable tree branches and heavy brush are capped at four feet in length and eight inches in diameter and simply stacked neatly, no bagging or bundling required.

If yard rubbish is placed somewhere noncompliant, the property owner or occupant does not face an immediate citation; the director of public works must first send written notice by personal service or certified mail describing the violation, and the owner then has seven days to remove the material at their own expense or re-prepare it to meet the chapter's standards. Only a failure to abate within that seven-day window becomes a separate unlawful act. The public works director may also waive normal preparation rules for organized city cleanup programs or after storm and tornado damage generates excess yard waste, arranging special collection at the time of the waiver. The provisions were adopted by Ord. No. 94-222 on October 4, 1994.