By mowing your lawn in a timely fashion, you can avoid building thatch, help the grass grow better, leave the clippings on the lawn and provide great free nutritional value for your lawn. Click here for more yard and garden care tips. If you have specific landscape questions, contact pworks@stlouispark.org.

•   Yard waste collection service
•  About your garbage bill
•  Burning leaves or trash
•  Compost guidelines
•  Composting Related Links
•  When is yard waste collected?

Yard waste collection service
St. Louis Park offers two service level options for yard waste collection -

• No Grass Clippings option
  For not setting out grass clippings, participants receive a $3 credit against each quarterly garbage bill (rates listed above). Participants may set out leaves, twigs and weeds
  
• Full Service option
  No additional charge to the rates listed above. In addition to leaves, twigs and weeds, participants may set out grass clippings.

When you need to dispose of yard waste -

• Set out bags on the same day that you set out your garbage and recyclables.
• Set yard waste bags at least 5 feet away from your garbage cans.

Yard waste may be placed in any type of bag designed for yard waste: but both biodegradable and non-biodegradable bags are acceptable. Do not place an "Extra Refuse" sticker on bags of yard waste. Yard waste collection is part of your regular collection service.

As an alternative to yard waste bags, you may also set yard waste in a garbage container with a Yard Waste Only sticker on the container. Free stickers may be obtained by calling Waste Management at (763) 783-5423 or the City of St. Louis Park at (952) 924-2555.

Because yard waste is hauled to a compost site, include only yard waste in the bag or container. Do not include flower pots or any household garbage in the same bag with yard waste or it will not be collected.

Fill bags with only as much yard waste as can easily be lifted by one person. If you put yard waste in a garbage can, make sure the container and its contents do not weigh more than 50 pounds. If it's too heavy to be lifted by one person, it won't be emptied by Waste Management.

Please be kind to the environment and reduce the amount of yard waste you set out. You can do this by mowing often enough to leave grass clippings on your lawn. (Grass clippings act as a fertilizer for your lawn.) Grass clippings and mowed leaves can also be used as a mulch around shrubs and flowers.

You can also compost your yard waste. For details on composting, call Hennepin County Environmental Services at (612) 348-3777 or click here. For more information from St. Louis Park about composting, click here.

Leaves -
All households can set out leaves, twigs, weeds and pine cones.

Grass clippings -
If you signed up for the No Grass Clippings discount, you may not set out grass clippings. If you signed up for the Grass Clippings option, you may set out grass clippings along with your other yard waste.

Twigs and small branches -
These will be collected at no extra charge as long as the branches are less than four inches in diameter and less than four feet long. Branches and twigs must be placed in a paper grocery bag or tied into bundles; if they are piled loosely on the ground, they will not be collected.

Sod and dirt -
These are not collected by Waste Management. For a list of places that accept sod, dirt and other yard waste, click here.

Large shrubs and tree debris -
These are not collected by Waste Management: call a tree removal company to collect large branches, logs, whole trees or shrub debris. A list of companies licensed to work in St. Louis Park is available by calling the city forester at (952) 924-2565 or e-mailing pworks@stlouispark.org .

About your garbage bill
Your quarterly utility bill from the City of St. Louis Park includes charges for garbage collection as well as water, sanitary sewer and storm drainage. Tax is applied to the portion of your trash that goes to the incinerator or landfill. The non-taxed portion of your garbage service is for yard waste and recyclables which are not landfilled or incinerated.

Burning leaves or trash
Open burning of trash or leaves is prohibited in St. Louis Park.

Compost guidelines
Compost structures must be located in the back yard. Compost bins must be placed at least 15 feet away from neighbors' homes and 3 feet away from alleys, parks, trails or public right-of-way. Compost structures must be made of wood, plastic or fiberglass and enclosed on the top and sides. Wire structures are not allowed. The total size of the compost structure must not exceed 150 cubic feet. Only plant materials from yards or gardens may be composted (no kitchen waste, meat, animal waste, carcasses, etc.) Compost must be maintained to minimize odor.

Composting related links:

• Backyard Composting Basics
• Compost bin distribution events  
• How to compost your organic waste
• MPCA Composting Guidelines
• Yard & Tree Waste

When is yard waste collected?
Yard waste is collected on your regular collection day during the growing season. The City will post the beginning and end of the collection season in the Sun Sailor and on the web site. Yard waste is also collected with Christmas trees during the first two full weeks in January. In 2007 yard waste collection begins Monday, April 2. If it snows, please make sure your yard waste bags are not covered by snow or they will not be visible to the driver.

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