If I have to wait two weeks for leaf & yard trimming collection, won't the paper bags fall apart and cause a mess?

Brown bags are typically made from a 2-ply heavy duty paper with a protective wet strength coating that resists rain/water. Wet strength is an invisible net that enhances the performance of the paper plies by holding together the fibers. It’s similar to what rebar does for concrete. Of course there are always limitations to what the bags can endure.

Here are some tips for storage over a two week period:

1. Don't overfill bags, especially when loading with wet material.
2. Although bags are constructed to be tear resistant, they can puncture from sharp branches. Consider bundling branches instead of bagging.
3. If you’ve been caught by a change in weather with an early snow storm or freezing weather, placing the bags off the ground until collection day will help the bottoms of the bags from not sticking and tearing when moved.
4. If at all possible minimize the placement of wet materials in the bag. For instance, grasscycling (leaving the grass clippings on the lawn) is more effective when you avoid cutting your lawn when it’s wet.

If you prefer, there are the following alternatives to bags:

1. Place wet materials in thin layers in your backyard composter.
2. If you wish to designate an approved garbage container to your leaf & yard waste, we’ll provide a special container label so the collection crews know that you have placed leaf & yard out for collection.
3. If you want to avoid bagging or bundling altogether, especially when you have large quantities or extremely wet material, you can deliver it to the designated area within the landfill. There are no tipping fees associated with leaf & yard trimmings.