Lafayette, IN Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Section 6.07.080, enacted with the rest of Chapter 6.07 by Ord. No. 2025-06 (Exh. A) effective March 3, 2025, treats yard waste differently from ordinary garbage. Subsection (A) requires grass clippings, weeds, twigs, and other similar yard and garden materials to be bagged in a two-ply biodegradable wet strength paper bag weighing less than forty pounds, a weight limit meant to keep individual bags manageable for collection crews. Subsection (B) splits leaf disposal by season: from May through September, leaves must go into the same biodegradable bags, but from October through April residents may instead rake leaves loose to the curb for pickup by leaf vacuuming equipment on dates the city designates, provided the leaves are not co-mingled with sticks or branches that would jam the vacuum.

Subsection (C) covers larger material: brush, tree trimmings, or hedge clippings are only accepted for collection once they are broken or cut down to a size the crew can handle and transport. The definition of 'yard waste' in § 6.07.010 covers grass, weeds, leaves, brush, tree trimmings, hedge clippings, and garden waste, so material outside that list, such as construction debris, does not qualify for this collection stream.