Rapid City, SD Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- §§ 8.08.010, 8.08.065
- Bag requirement
- Biodegradable 100% paper bags for curbside pickup
- No-bag option
- Haul loose to landfill or yard waste recycling center
- Commingling
- Trash, rubbish, hazardous waste prohibited
- Landfill authority
- May refuse nonconforming loads
- Penalty
- General penalty under § 1.12.010 plus civil damages
Summary
Rapid City won't collect curbside yard waste unless it's bagged in an acceptable biodegradable paper yard waste bag. Residents can skip bagging entirely by hauling clippings, branches and garden waste straight to the yard waste disposal site at the landfill or to any city yard waste recycling center instead. Mixing yard waste with trash or hazardous waste voids collection, and the landfill can refuse a nonconforming load.
WW. YARD WASTE. ... Natural, non-putrescible solid vegetation waste produced by commercial or private residential landscaping activities. The waste shall include lawn cuttings, lawn rakings, branches, trees, garden waste, and other similar waste vegetative material, all free of other debris or rubbish. ... Curbside yard waste will not be collected for disposal unless contained in acceptable biodegradable yard waste bags. The foregoing notwithstanding, yard waste may be delivered without any container to the yard waste disposal site at the landfill or to any city yard waste recycling center. No yard waste shall be commingled with any trash, rubbish, infectious or hazardous waste, or other non-yard waste materials. The landfill is authorized to refuse acceptance for collection or disposal of any yard waste not in conformity with this section.
Full Breakdown
010(WW) as natural, non-putrescible vegetation waste from residential or commercial landscaping: lawn cuttings, lawn rakings, branches, trees, garden waste and similar vegetative matter, free of other debris or rubbish. 010(A) as a durable, 100% paper bag that decomposes within a year in a biologically active compost; the Director of Public Works can specify a particular bag type or manufacturer to keep the municipal composting program running efficiently. Residents who skip the bagging requirement aren't shut out: the code lets anyone deliver yard waste loose, with no container at all, straight to the yard waste disposal site at the landfill or to any city yard waste recycling center.
What the code does not allow is mixing: no yard waste may be commingled with trash, rubbish, infectious waste, hazardous waste or any other non-yard-waste material, and the landfill is expressly authorized to refuse acceptance of any load that doesn't conform. 270(C) further requires that yard waste accepted for disposal be kept in a separate, designated location. 040.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 8.08's general penalty at § 8.08.105 applies: any violation is subject to the penalty set in § 1.12.010, plus a separate civil action for any damages the violation causes. In practice, non-compliant yard waste is simply left uncollected, or the landfill turns the load away at the gate rather than accepting improperly bagged or commingled material, under § 8.08.065's refusal clause.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to bag my yard waste for curbside pickup in Rapid City?
Can I mix yard waste with regular trash in Rapid City?
What counts as yard waste under Rapid City's code?
What happens if I violate the yard waste rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rapid City
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