Columbus, OH Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- 6:00 p.m. day before pickup
- Container pickup deadline
- 2:00 p.m. day after
- Storage location
- Within 10 feet of home/garage
- Covered materials
- Leaves, clippings, prunings, holiday trees
- Governing code
- Title 13, Refuse Collection
Summary
Columbus bars residents from setting yard waste out before 6 p.m. the night before pickup and requires empty containers pulled in by 2 p.m. the next day, under City Code Chapter 1303.
No person shall place yard waste out for collection prior to 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the scheduled collection day or fail to remove any yard waste containers from the point of collection by 2:00 p.m. on the day following the scheduled collection day. Yard waste containers shall be secured and stored within ten (10) feet of the home or garage until 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the next scheduled collection day.I.General Duty for Multiple Dwelling Developments.1.All newly constructed multiple dwelling developments shall plan and design for acceptable waste collection.2.All enclosures for dumpster, compactors, and bulk shall be located within the legal boundaries of the multiple dwelling development.3.It shall be the duty of any owner or developer of a multiple dwelling development to provide a minimum of one-half (½) cubic yard of dumpster or compactor container capacity for acceptable waste for each unit, that meets rules and regulations specifications.4.It shall be the duty of any owner or developer of a multiple dwelling development that receives city compactor service to provide onsite a minimum compactor container capacity per dwelling unit based on the following formula: (# of units x .5 cubic yards/unit) / 3 = minimum cubic yard compactor container capacity
Example: (100 units x .5 cubic yards /unit) / 3 = 16.7 cubic yards
Note: 3 to 1 compaction ratio shall be used to calculate the required capacity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Form Based Code: ?).
Full Breakdown
Owners and occupants of dwelling units must contain, remove, and dispose of yard waste generated on their property (leaves, grass clippings, shrubbery and tree prunings, and holiday trees, as defined at Columbus City Codes § 1301.42). The same duty falls on owners and occupants of non-residential units and multiple dwelling developments, and on any company doing cutting or pruning work on public or private property. Yard waste cannot be set out before 6:00 p.m. the day before the scheduled collection day, and empty containers must be pulled back in by 2:00 p.m. the day after collection, stored within 10 feet of the home or garage until the next set-out window.
Violations & Fines
Enforced by division of refuse collection investigators and law enforcement; the director can issue a notice of violation and pursue civil citations, civil fines, or criminal complaints under § 1303.03.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as yard waste in Columbus?
When can I put yard waste at the curb?
Who handles yard waste at rentals or apartment complexes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
Compare Columbus 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.