Yard
waste is collected every other week from April to early December on your scheduled
collection day. To determine your collection day, please check our online Recycle Coach app or refer to the Waste and Recycling Calendar.
Remember to place yard waste containers at the curb no later than 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day and no earlier than 5 p.m. the night before collection. Ensure that yard waste material set out for collection is in accordance with the Town's waste program requirements. Please remove emptied containers and any uncollected waste from the curb by 8 p.m. on collection day.
Be a good neighbour. Don't sweep leaves onto the road. Newmarket residents are reminded to not dump any waste, including leaves, onto the road (in accordance with the Town's By-Law 1990-79). Doing so can cause potential flooding on storm drains.
Acceptable Containers- Kraft paper bags designed for leaf and yard waste material.
- Reusable, rigid, open-top containers such as a garbage can that does not exceed 125 L in capacity, 20 in. (50 cm) in diameter, or 36 in. (90 cm) in height. Containers must be clearly labelled with a yellow "Yard Waste" sticker.
Unacceptable Containers- Cardboard boxes
- Garbage bags (in any colour)
- Green bins
- Oversized rigid containers
- Recycling blue boxes
- Containers resembling blue boxes
Weight LimitEach container or bundle must not exceed 22 kg (50 lbs).
Waste Set-out Reminders- Place yard waste containers and bundles at the curb by 7 a.m. for collection on your scheduled collection day. Do not place yard waste containers or bundles on the road or sidewalk as it may pose as a hazard to vehicular traffic and other residents. Proper placement will also help avoid damage to containers and will reduce interference with Town operations.
- Keep yard waste containers and bundles separate from your neighbours.
- Do not overfill yard waste containers.
- Each yard waste container or bundle must not exceed 22 kg (50 lbs).
- Bundles must not exceed 1.2 m (4 ft.) in length, 0.6 m (2 ft.) in diameter, and individual branches must not exceed 10 cm (4 in.) in diameter.
Acceptable Leaf and Yard Waste Materials- Leaves, shrubbery, brush and tree trimmings, flowers, weeds, plants (soil removed), pumpkins, corn stalks, hay, and straw.
- Branches, twigs and cuttings that are tied in secure bundles using jute or cotton twine (no metal or plastic) and are less than 1.2 m (4 ft.) in length, 0.6 m (2 ft.) in diameter and individual branches are less than 10 cm (4 in.) in diameter.
Unacceptable Leaf and Yard Waste Materials- Grass, grass clippings, thatch, rocks, stumps, dirt, soil, sod, root balls, kitchen scraps and food waste, flower pots/trays, animal droppings, driveway and road sweepings, painted/treated wood, garbage.
- Branches, twigs and cuttings that are not tied and not in secure bundles.
- Branches, twigs and cuttings that are longer than 1.2 m (4 ft.) in length and 0.6 m (2 ft.) in diameter and individual branches exceed 10 cm (4 in.) in diameter.
Grass ClippingsGrass clippings are not an accepted yard waste material and is not collected in the curbside yard waste collection program.
Once grass has been cut, it starts to decompose. Due to processing challenges at York Region composting facilities, and the amount of odour produced when decomposing, grass clippings are not collected. Try grasscycling clippings instead.
GrasscyclingGrasscycling is the best way to decompose grass clippings. Grasscycling is the act of leaving grass clippings on your lawn after mowing. Benefits include:
- Reducing the need for fertilizer by 30 per cent
- Returning nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium back to the soil to help build healthy roots
- Reducing collection and processing costs at Yard Waste depots, which supports the York Region Leaf and Yard Waste and Composting Strategy in the SM4RT Living Plan (Waste Management Master Plan)
Grasscycling is regarded as a best practice for many large Ontario municipalities such as the City of Toronto, Durham Region and Niagara Region who have banned grass clippings from their curbside yard waste collection programs.
Residents can take small amounts of grass clippings to the Bloomington Yard Waste Depot (1351 Bloomington Road) in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
For more information on grasscycling and helpful tips, visit our Grasscycling webpage.
