Other Options and Tips to Manage Leaf and Yard Trimmings

Updated April 2, 2026

Roadside garbage collection resumes on your next regularly scheduled garbage collection day and week. Check the Waste Wise app or website to make sure it's your collection week.

Roadside organics and recycling collection resumes on your next regularly scheduled Green Cart and Blue Box collection day.

Temporary increased limits will be in place as follows:

Garbage collection, weeks of March 30 and April 6

Residential properties may set out up to four bags, containers or bundles per unit.

Registered Yellow Bag participants may set out up to 12 yellow bags per registered participant.

Registered participants in the diaper waste program should place all clear bags of diaper waste at the roadside on their regularly scheduled diaper collection day.

Green Cart and Blue Box, week of March 30

Temporary collection changes

For residents scheduled on Thursday, April 2
- Garbage: No change. Collection will take place Thursday.
- Blue Box and Green Cart in Sudbury: Rescheduled to Friday.
- Blue Box and Green Cart in Chelmsford, Azilda, Lively, McCrea Heights, Val Caron, Coniston and Wahnapitae: Rescheduled to Saturday.

Please note that this temporary change for Thursday routes will not appear in the Waste Wise calendar.

For residents whose Friday, April 3 collection was moved to Saturday, April 4 because of Good Friday
- Garbage: No change. Collection will take place Saturday, April 4.
- Blue Box and Green Cart: Rescheduled to Monday.

This temporary change will be reflected in Waste Wise.Calendar

Extra organic waste that does not fit in your Green Cart may be placed in certified compostable bags and set on top of or beside your Green Cart in a cardboard box or similar small container without a lid. Do not place bags directly on the ground.

Extra recyclables may be placed next to your Blue Box in a cardboard box or other box without a lid no larger than a Blue Box.

Yellow Box Recycling Carts, weeks of March 30 and April 6

Recyclables that do not fit in your cart may be placed next to your cart in a cardboard box or other box without a lid no larger than a Blue Box.

Residents and property owners are asked to support a smooth and safe collection process by following these tips:

- Do not place waste on snowbanks, sidewalks or in the travelled roadway.
- Keep waste at the mouth of your driveway.
- Put waste out by 7 a.m. on collection day.
- All bags and containers must weigh no more than 40 lb / 18 kg.
- For properties using waste storage containers, please clear snow from the top of your storage container and ensure there is a safe, clear path for collection crews to access it. Waste storage containers that cannot be accessed cannot be collected.

Landfill sites and Recycling Centre
The Sudbury, Azilda and Hanmer landfill sites, the Walden Small Vehicle Transfer Station and the Recycling Centre are now open to all customers during regular operating hours.

All regular tipping and gate fees are in effect. Wait times may be longer than usual at landfill sites. Residents are encouraged to check the Sudbury landfill livestream before heading to the site.

To reduce wait times, residents are encouraged to hold their waste until their roadside collection resumes. Those who do visit landfill sites can support waste diversion by separating recyclable and compostable waste.


Waste services that have not yet resumed:
- Furniture, appliance and electronic collection and pick-up requests are unavailable until further notice.
- Requests for new or additional Green Carts are unavailable until further notice.
- Leaf and yard trimming collection will resume on your regularly scheduled garbage and leaf and yard collection day beginning the week of April 13.

Options:

  • Try a backyard composter. Adding leaf and yard trimmings to your fruit and vegetable waste in a backyard composter will help achieve the carbon to nitrogen ratio required for proper decomposition of organic waste.
    • Backyard composters can be purchased at hardware stores and garden centres. They are also available for $48.03 at the Recycling Centre located on Frobisher Street in Sudbury, while supplies last. Check out these Pinterest DIY backyard composter options to make one yourself.
    • Some perks of backyard composting? Not needing to bag materials, buy bags, or wait for the collection day every other week. You will also be left with a nutrient-rich, organic soil that retains water well, prevents erosion, promotes biodiversity, and can be used to nourish your lawn and plants without buying or using chemical fertilizers.
  • In the fall, add leaves to your gardens and flower beds to enrich the soil and help reduce weeds.
  • Scatter leaf mulch around bushes, shrubs and trees for protection during the winter. Aim for mulch depth of 6-7 cm (2-3 inches).
  • Mulch leaves with the lawn mower and leave them, along with grass clippings, on your lawn. They will decompose quickly, help reduce moisture loss and release valuable nutrients back into the soil. Check out the Grass Recycling section on this webpage for more tips and benefits of grasscycling.

Tips:

  • Shake it off! Remember that soil is not acceptable in leaf and yard trimmings. If you have excess soil from potted plants, weeding or edging, shake it onto your garden beds or lawn before placing the plant portions with your leaf and yard trimmings. Leaving the clumps to dry a day or two will make it easier to remove any excess soil. You can also add soil to a backyard composter.
  • Remember that crab apples must be placed in certified compostable bags in your Green Cart, and should not be mixed in with your leaf and yard trimmings. This is true of all fruits and vegetables, or treenuts. You could also put them in a backyard composter.
  • Consider delaying your fall and spring yard and garden cleanups. Leaves and stems can serve as shelter for some pollinators and wildlife during the winter. This Weather Network video further explains why we shouldn’t clean up our yards too early.
  • Wait until your leaf and yard trimmings are dry before collecting and bagging them. This will help keep the weight down and the bags in good condition.
  • Clean up your yard close to your every other week collection day. This will reduce the amount of time your leaf and yard trimmings sit in bags or containers.
  • Keep your bags, bundles and containers covered and away from the roadside until collection day, to prevent messes and keep the bags intact.
  • Don’t forget to leave space in your paper bags to roll the tops down, creating handles for the collectors to lift and carry them.