Owensboro, KY Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Owensboro Municipal Code § 26-243 defines yard waste as leaves, logs under six inches in diameter, limbs, shrubs without root balls, brush, live Christmas trees and other common yard and garden plants, specifically excluding grass. Section 26-263(g) sets the collection mechanics: the sanitation manager schedules loose-leaf collection beginning in late September or early October and running through February 15, during which loose leaves must be placed or piled behind the curb, out of the gutter, and not blocking the sidewalk. Leaves collected between February 15 and April 1 no longer qualify for loose pickup; residents must bag them or place them in containers with a maximum capacity of 32 gallons and a maximum weight of 30 pounds, identified for yard waste collection.

All other yard waste, excluding grass, is subject to the same 32-gallon, 30-pound container limit year-round. Grass clippings are handled separately: residents who want clippings collected must buy blue bags at City Hall rather than using a standard yard waste container. Section 26-261 also makes clear that if a resident supplies their own yard waste container instead of a city-provided one, the city bears no liability for repairing or replacing it. These rules sit within the residential service division of the sanitation article, enforced by the sanitation manager under the director of public works, and interact with the special-loads provisions of § 26-266 for logs and brush too large for a standard container.