Eugene, OR Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- What counts as yard debris
- Clippings, leaves, trimmings, branches <4 in (EC 3.005)
- License needed to collect for pay
- Yes (EC 3.245(1))
- Landscaper exception
- Own vehicle, own job (EC 3.245(2)(f))
- Service required of licensees
- Yes, with recycling (EC 3.270(1))
- Violation penalty
- Up to $500 per day (EC 3.995)
Summary
Eugene defines what counts as yard debris under EC 3.005: grass clippings, leaves, hedge trimmings, and branches under four inches in diameter that fit inside the yard debris cart. EC 3.245(1) requires a city license to collect it for pay, though a landscaper hauling debris from their own job in their own vehicle doesn't need one.
3.005 Yard debris. Includes grass clippings, leaves, hedge trimmings, branches that are less than four inches in diameter and fit inside the yard debris cart, and similar vegetative waste but does not include dirt, rocks, metal, or other non-vegetative solid waste. ... 3.245(2) The following persons do not require a solid waste collection license: ... (f) A person who performs landscaping services for a property owner or tenant and transports yard debris in his or her own vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026).
Full Breakdown
005's Solid Waste, Yard Debris and Recycling definitions spell out exactly what belongs in the yard debris stream: grass clippings, leaves, hedge trimmings, branches under four inches in diameter that fit inside the yard debris cart, and similar vegetative waste, but specifically not dirt, rocks, metal, or other non-vegetative solid waste. 245(1), the same license that covers residential recyclables and solid waste; a company can't run a yard-debris-only operation without one. 245(2)(f) carves out one specific exception: a person who performs landscaping services for a property owner or tenant and hauls the yard debris away in their own vehicle as part of that landscaping job doesn't need a collection license. 250(1)(i)). 248(1) as solid waste and recycling licenses. The Eugene Code is current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026.
Violations & Fines
Collecting yard debris for compensation without a solid waste collection license, or a licensee's failure to actually provide yard debris service to customers under EC 3.270(1), is subject to EC 3.995's general penalty: a civil penalty of up to $500, or an administrative civil penalty under EC 3.045, with each day of the violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put tree branches in my yard debris cart?
Does my landscaper need a city license to haul away the debris from my yard?
Is a Eugene trash hauler required to also pick up yard debris?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eugene
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