Beginning March 5, Salt Lake City ends the six-week wintertime suspension of yard waste collection. The annual suspension occurs during a period of very low demand for green waste disposal.

Residents may now place their brown cans at the curb on their regular collection day each week.

“We appreciate our residents’ understanding as we work to provide the highest quality waste service, while saving resources and being good stewards of our air quality,” said Lance Allen, Waste & Recycling Director for Salt Lake City.

“Now that collection resumes, it’s incredibly important that our residents understand what should and shouldn’t go in the brown compost containers,” he added.

Acceptable items include: leaves, twigs, branches, grass, weeds, bushes and other organic lawn waste. Residents may also put fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds and paper filters, and tea bags in the brown containers.

“Sometimes there is confusion as to what is accepted in the ‘yard waste’ can,” said Allen. “We’d like to reiterate that it is ‘organic’ material only—please no construction or treated wood, planters, pots, pavers, lawn décor, dirt, rocks, gravel, plastic, metal or trash. Having these items in the container is damaging to our operation. We appreciate our residents’ support and cooperation.”

Residents may learn more at http://www.slcgreen.com/compost-can or by calling 801-535-6999. More information about Salt Lake City’s waste and recycling services can be found at:http://www.slcgreen.com/waste-management

In 2018, the six-week compost collection suspension helped the Waste & Recycling Division achieve a fuel savings of roughly 4,500 gallons and more than $11,000. The cost savings remains in the waste and recycling enterprise fund. It also eliminated 730 pounds of criteria air pollutants and nearly 100,000 pounds of greenhouse gases (the equivalent of removing eleven passenger vehicles from the road for an entire year).