Fort Smith collects yard waste curbside on the resident's weekly trash collection day. Residents may request a free city-issued 96-gallon yard-waste cart from the Department of Solid Waste Services, or place yard waste in paper bags or reusable containers (plastic shopping bags are not allowed). Sticks and branches must be bundled in 4-foot lengths and less than 2 feet in diameter. Maximum of 20 bags or containers per pickup. Yard waste is part of the regular weekly route operated under Chapter 25, Article VII of the Code of Ordinances.
Fort Smith's yard-waste program is operated by the Department of Solid Waste Services on the same weekly route as regular trash, but with separate container and bundling rules. Residents have three set-out options: (1) request a free city-issued 96-gallon yard-waste cart from the Department by calling 479-784-2350 or submitting an online request - the cart is provided at no cost just like the regular trash cart; (2) use paper yard-waste bags (the standard 30-gallon brown kraft paper bags sold at hardware stores); or (3) use reusable rigid containers. The City explicitly disallows plastic shopping bags - these contaminate the compost stream and are not biodegradable in the timeline required for municipal composting. Sticks and branches must be bundled and tied (twine or natural fiber) in lengths not exceeding 4 feet and bundle diameter less than 2 feet to allow workers to lift them into the truck without injury. A 20-bag or 20-container maximum applies per weekly pickup; larger volumes (storm cleanup, major tree work) should be scheduled through Dial-A-Truck or hauled to the Fort Smith Landfill. Acceptable yard waste includes grass clippings, leaves, hedge trimmings, small branches and sticks, garden plants, and other organic landscape material. Not acceptable: dirt, rocks, sod, stumps over the diameter limit, pet waste, kitchen food scraps (separate composting), and bagged grass in plastic bags. Open burning of yard waste within Fort Smith city limits is restricted under Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (ADEQ) air-quality rules and the City Fire Marshal's burning permit framework. Authority: Chapter 25, Article VII (Solid Waste); A.C.A. §8-9-401 et seq. (Arkansas Solid Waste Management Act).
Setting plastic shopping bags or oversize/unbundled branches results in non-collection - workers leave the material at the curb with a tag explaining the violation. Excess over the 20-bag/container limit is left for the following week. Persistent non-compliance is a Chapter 25, Article VII Code violation handled through Neighborhood Services notices, escalating to a Criminal Summons after three warnings in a calendar year (misdemeanor; fine generally up to $500 per offense under Chapter 1 general penalty). Raking leaves into the street or alley creates separate scattering-rubbish exposure under A.C.A. §8-6-406 (littering, $100-$1,000 first offense plus 8-24 hours community service) and storm-drain blockage liability. Open burning of yard waste within City limits without a Fire Marshal permit violates Arkansas air-quality regulations under ADEQ Regulation No. 18.
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