Green Bay Leaf Collection Program FAQ's(11/3/20)

Every year DPW receives numerous questions about Green Bay's curbside yard and garden waste collection program. Following are several recurring questions and DPW's best answer to residents:

1) What are the consequences of placing yard waste in the street? The first consequence is less clean storm water runoff into rivers lakes and streams, which negatively affects aquatic life. The second consequence can be fines issued to residents for not complying with the City Ordinance to pile yard waste out of the street. Right now DPW is attempting to improve education of this long-standing City Ordinance. But ultimately there will be enforcement through fines. DPW definitely prefers to have residents comply with the ordinance. Because enforcement activity takes DPW people away from providing DPW services. Please do your duty to help DPW improve our environment, and comply with EPA and DNR requirements.

2) How long can I place yard and garden waste to the curb this fall to assure DPW collection?
 For a 100% guarantee that DPW will collect your yard waste this fall, have it to the street no later than Sunday, November 15, 2020. Then starting on November 16, DPW will make one final collection round through the City. If you place yard waste to the street after November 15 and DPW has already been down your street, the yard waste will not be collected. So please rake and clean up your yard early enough to assure collection.

3) Will DPW continue to collect yard waste if it snows before Thanksgiving?
 If there is light snow and DPW can see yard waste piles, yard waste will be collected as noted above. If heavy snow occurs and DPW must plow, then all bets are off. This unfortunately happened in 2019. DPW and residents were not happy with the result. But we are always at the mercy of the weather.

4) DPW left leaves behind on my terrace. Aren't they supposed to take all of them?
 Many years (decades) ago, DPW manually raked leaves off of every front yard during the collection process. But it became too costly to continue. DPW has less employees now than it did back then, and uses power equipment to remove yard and garden waste piles from terraces/lawns for collection. This is a much faster and less expensive process. But along with using power equipment comes the risk of damaging grass. DPW does its best to take as much yard waste as possible off of lawns. But there will be residue left behind that residents need to clean up. There are trade-offs with every process, and this is one of those unfortunate trade-offs.

If you have further questions or concerns regarding the curbside yard and garden waste collection program, please contact DPW directly. Due to limited resources, DPW uses its Facebook account mainly to share information. The account is not monitored regularly to respond to requests or input.