Portland, ME Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Yard waste def.
- Leaves, grass, garden waste
- Required container
- Biodegradable bag, not trash bag
- Set by
- Dept. of Public Works
- Illegal dumping fine
- $200 flat + costs
- Governing section
- Ch. 12, §§ 12-16 & 12-23
Summary
Portland requires yard waste, leaves, grass and garden waste under Sec. 12-16, to go out in a biodegradable plastic bag designated by the Department of Public Works, not a regular trash bag; dumping it loose in a street, sidewalk or public way under Sec. 12-23 draws a flat $200 fine plus disposal costs.
Yard Waste shall mean waste material consisting of leaves, grass or garden waste. ... Suitable yard waste containers for yard waste material shall mean a biodegradable plastic bag as designated by the public works authority. ... (a) No person shall throw or deposit any garbage, or tobacco product, or yard waste, solid waste, prohibited waste, or waste matter, or cause the same to be thrown or deposited upon any street, sidewalk, alley, gutter, park, or other public way... except in suitable containers as required by this article...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 12 defines 'Yard Waste' at Sec. 12-16 as 'waste material consisting of leaves, grass or garden waste,' and separately defines 'Suitable yard waste containers for yard waste material' as 'a biodegradable plastic bag as designated by the public works authority', a distinct category from the fifteen- or thirty-gallon purple trash bags used for ordinary solid waste. Sec. ' Sec. 12-23(a), amended effective June 1, 2026, separately bars anyone from throwing or depositing 'yard waste', named alongside garbage and solid waste, 'upon any street, sidewalk, alley, gutter, park, or other public way' except in a suitable container.
Because the 'suitable container' definitions in Sec. 12-16 treat yard waste as its own category, residents must use the biodegradable bags the Department of Public Works designates rather than any ordinary plastic trash bag to have yard waste picked up with the rest of their solid waste service.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 12-23(c), amended by Ord. No. 220-25/26 effective 6-1-2026, makes throwing or depositing yard waste in a street, sidewalk, alley, gutter or park an offense carrying a flat $200.00 penalty 'plus attorneys' fees, costs and costs of the proper disposal of the material': the same fine that applies to dumping any other prohibited waste in a public way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put yard waste out in a regular trash bag in Portland?
What counts as yard waste under Portland's code?
What happens if I dump grass clippings on the sidewalk instead of bagging them?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
Compare Portland to another location·View the Maine trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.