Cincinnati, OH Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- CMC § 729-88
- Set-out window
- 5:00 p.m. day before to 6:00 a.m. collection day
- Bag weight limit
- 40 lbs per paper bag
- Bundle limits
- 40 lbs, 48 in. length, 100 in. combined
- Co-mingling
- Barred unless director authorizes
- Street dumping
- Prohibited under § 729-88(b)
Summary
Cincinnati requires yard waste to be bagged, bundled, or carted separately from regular trash and set out on the same evening-before-to-morning-of schedule as household waste. Municipal Code § 729-88 caps paper bags and tied bundles at 40 pounds, limits bundles to 48 inches long or 100 inches in combined dimensions, and bans dumping yard waste on streets or public property.
Yard waste materials placed at the curbside for collection and removal are the responsibility of the owner, the agent of the owner, or the person in control of the premises. ... Yard waste materials shall be placed at the curbside no sooner than 5:00 p.m. on the day before the scheduled day of yard waste collection, but no later than 6:00 a.m. on the day of yard waste collection. ... Placed in properly secured and closed paper bags not exceeding 40 pounds each. ... Placed in bundles tied with string, not wire or tape, not exceeding 40 pounds in weight, 48 inches in length, or 100 inches in overall dimensions (the total of length plus width plus depth).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 48 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
' If the city runs a separate yard waste collection, that material can't be co-mingled with regular trash; alternatively, an owner can arrange separate pickup through a private hauler. that day, the identical window that governs regular trash under § 729-7; it must be packaged safely, either in a closed cart or trash can labeled 'yard waste' that one person can move, in secured paper bags not exceeding 40 pounds each, or in string-tied bundles (no wire or tape) capped at 40 pounds, 48 inches in length, or 100 inches combined length-plus-width-plus-depth; and it must be secured well enough that it won't blow or scatter into the street or onto neighboring property.
Subsections (b) through (d) round out the rule: dumping yard waste on a street or other public place is banned outright, tampering with someone else's yard waste, containers, bags, bundles, or collection stickers is prohibited, and it's a deceptive or unfair practice for anyone arranging yard waste removal to represent that the material will be composted or otherwise beneficially used and then fail to do so.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 729's default § 729-99 penalty applies to § 729-88 violations, a Class A Civil Offense under § 1501-3, with the civil fine set in § 1501-99, covering improperly bagged or oversized bundles, materials set out outside the 5:00 p.m.-to-6:00 a.m. window, or co-mingling yard waste with regular trash without authorization. Dumping yard waste on a street or public property, tampering with someone else's set-out materials, and the deceptive-practice provision on false composting claims are each separately actionable under § 729-88 itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a bag of yard waste weigh in Cincinnati?
Can I tie brush together with wire instead of string?
Can yard waste go out with regular trash?
What if my landscaper promises the yard waste will be composted and it isn't?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cincinnati
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