Cleveland, OH Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Bundle weight cap
- 100 lbs per bundle, § 551.05(a)
- Manual-zone bag/bundle limit
- 20 bags or bundles per set-out
- Automated-zone limit
- 20 bags or bundles per set-out
- Base overage fine
- $100, § 551.991(f)
- Heavy overage fine
- $350 above 40 bags/bundles
- Minimum pickup frequency
- Monthly, § 551.051
Summary
Yard waste, brush and tree trunks aren't picked up in Cleveland's regular waste containers. Codified Ordinances § 551.05 requires them tied into compact bundles weighing no more than 100 pounds each and set at a spot convenient for collection, and § 551.111 caps a manual-zone household at 20 such bundles or bags per set-out.
No furniture, tires, yard waste, bundle of brush, tree trunk or other such special waste shall be routinely collected by the regular waste collectors. Any solid waste, other than furniture, appliances or other such bulk items, that is so large that it cannot be contained in approved containers, shall be securely tied in compact bundles not to exceed one hundred (100) pounds in weight and shall be placed in a location convenient for collection.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Current through legislation passed September 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
05 pulls yard waste out of Cleveland's regular container-based collection entirely. Division (a) states that furniture, tires, yard waste, bundles of brush, tree trunks and other 'special waste' are not routinely picked up by the regular waste collectors, and that any solid waste too large for an approved container, other than furniture, appliances or other bulk items, must be securely tied into compact bundles not exceeding 100 pounds and placed where the crew can reach it. Division (b) folds yard debris into the broader 'special waste' category alongside bulk items like refrigerators and mattresses.
111: in a manual collection zone, a household may not set out more than 20 bags of yard waste or 20 bundles of brush or tree trunks per collection (along with the container/tire/bulk-item caps in that section); the same 20-bag and 20-bundle ceilings apply in an automated collection zone. 991(f): the base penalty is $100, but it jumps to $350 if the set-out exceeds 40 bags of yard waste or 40 bundles of brush or tree trunks. 051, which requires the City to collect solid wastes, including bundled yard waste, at least once each month.
Violations & Fines
Bundles over the 100-pound weight cap in § 551.05(a) can be refused or cited for improper set-out. Separately, exceeding the quantity limits in § 551.111, more than 20 bags of yard waste or 20 brush bundles per manual- or automated-zone set-out, draws a $100 civil infraction under § 551.991(f), rising to $350 if the set-out tops 40 bags or 40 bundles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I bundle yard waste for Cleveland pickup?
How many bags of yard waste can I set out at once in Cleveland?
How often does Cleveland collect yard waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
Compare Cleveland to another location·View the Ohio trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle yard waste collection.