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Youngstown, OH Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Soft yard waste
Grass, weeds, leaves
Hard yard waste
Shrubbery, trimmings, tree branches
Disposal method
City-issued cart whenever possible
Bulk item status
Not classified as a bulk item
Adopted by
Ordinance 16-266 (2016)
Default penalty
Misdemeanor, third degree

Summary

Youngstown Codified Ordinances § 979.01(f) and (g) split yard waste into 'soft' (grass, weeds, leaves) and 'hard' (shrubbery, trimmings, tree branches) categories, and both must go in the City-issued trash cart whenever possible instead of being set out loose or bagged separately. Neither counts as a bulk item under the same section.

(f) "SOFT YARD WASTE" shall mean grass, weeds, and leaves. Soft yard waste must be placed in the City issued cart whenever possible. Soft yard waste is not considered a BULK ITEM. (g) "HARD YARD WASTE" shall mean shrubbery, trimmings and tree branches. Hard yard waste must be placed in the City issued cart whenever possible. Hard yard waste is not considered a BULK ITEM. ... 979.99 PENALTY. (a) Whoever violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree, except as otherwise provided in subsections (b) and (c).

View official code

Full Breakdown

The Youngstown Codified Ordinances define two tiers of yard waste at § 979.01, added by Ordinance 16-266 on July 13, 2016. Subsection (f) defines 'SOFT YARD WASTE' as grass, weeds, and leaves, and requires that soft yard waste be placed in the City-issued cart whenever possible; it is not treated as a 'BULK ITEM' under subsection (e). Subsection (g) defines 'HARD YARD WASTE' as shrubbery, trimmings and tree branches, imposing the identical instruction to use the City cart whenever possible, and it too is excluded from the bulk-item category.

Because both soft and hard yard waste are their own defined category rather than bulk items, keeping the material in the assigned cart rather than in loose piles or unauthorized bags is how a resident avoids triggering the receptacle and set-out rules that otherwise apply to garbage and rubbish under Chapter 979. Yard waste that cannot fit in the cart is handled through the same collection system the City uses for larger waste, but the ordinance's own instruction is to use the cart first whenever that is physically possible, and Chapter 979 does not carve out a separate fine schedule for yard waste distinct from the chapter's general terms.

Violations & Fines

Chapter 979 does not set a yard-waste-specific fine; a violation involving soft or hard yard waste, such as ignoring the cart-first instruction in a way that also breaks another receptacle rule, is enforced under the chapter's general penalty in § 979.99(a): a misdemeanor of the third degree unless another section states a different penalty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as yard waste under Youngstown's ordinance?
§ 979.01(f) and (g) split yard waste into two defined categories: soft yard waste (grass, weeds, and leaves) and hard yard waste (shrubbery, trimmings, and tree branches). Both are defined separately from ordinary rubbish and from bulk items in the same section.
Do I have to bag my yard waste separately in Youngstown?
No, the ordinance instructs the opposite: § 979.01(f) and (g) require that both soft and hard yard waste be placed in the City-issued cart whenever possible, rather than being bagged or piled separately at the curb, since the cart is the collection method the chapter designates for routine yard debris.
Is tree branch trimming treated as a bulk item in Youngstown?
No. § 979.01(g) specifically excludes hard yard waste, which includes shrubbery, trimmings, and tree branches, from the 'BULK ITEM' definition in § 979.01(e), keeping it in its own yard-waste category with its own cart-first disposal instruction.
What is the penalty for violating Youngstown's yard waste rules?
Chapter 979 does not list a yard-waste-specific fine; § 979.99(a) applies the chapter's general penalty, making a violation a misdemeanor of the third degree unless another provision of Chapter 979 states a different, more specific penalty.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Youngstown

Collection ScheduleSome RestrictionsBulk Item DisposalSome RestrictionsRecycling RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: RV & Boat ParkingSome RestrictionsIllegal DumpingHeavy RestrictionsDumpster RulesHeavy RestrictionsPickup Rules & SchedulesSome RestrictionsRecycling RequirementsSome RestrictionsBin Placement RulesSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Snow Removal Parking RulesSome Restrictions

All Youngstown rules

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