Public Works crews normally pick up garden trimmings every other week, alternating with recycling pickup, on the same week as leaves, brush, and $25-per-loader-bucket bulk pickup, for Solid Waste Program customers. Pickup schedules are subject to change, especially during spring and fall free bulk pickups, fall leaf collection, and inclement weather. Garden trimmings are not picked up on municipal holidays. Public Works will post additional information prior to each holiday. Click here to download the Leaf, Brush, Trimmings, & Bulk Pickup 2024 Calendar.

Solid Waste Program customers are charged a monthly cart fee to participate in the program. Click here to view more information on utility fees. The Solid Waste Program also funds various locations for customers to drop off recycling, leaves, brush, garden trimmings, bulk, electronics, and household hazardous waste through the Citizen Convenience Center, Drop Box Recycling Program, Self-Service Electronics Recycling, and Household Hazardous Waste disposal events.

Acceptable & Unacceptable Materials

Below is a list of acceptable and unacceptable materials for curbside garden trimmings pickup. For information on how to dispose of specific items, view Recycle Coach below, download the Recycle Coach app available on the App Store and Google Play, email publicworks@cityblm.org, or call 309-434-2225 during regular business hours. Click here to download a PDF with this information.

*While these materials can be collected curbside or dropped off at the Citizen Convenience Center, they are not included in garden trimmings. Customers must call Public Works at 309-434-2225 for an estimate and to schedule a pickup for curbside pickup or an estimate will be provided at the Citizen Convenience Center when dropped off. The charge is the same for curbside and drop off. These materials must be cleaned so that they do not contain dirt.

Do's and Don'ts

The do’s and don’ts listed below are additional requirements to improve safety, efficiency, and cost. Any materials placed out for pickup that do not follow these requirements will be picked up, but the customer will be billed for the entire cost of the pickup. Click here to download a PDF with this information.

1. Garden trimmings must be loose or in a garbage can. Crews will not collect garden trimmings stored in plastic bags, boxes, biodegradable bags, or other unapproved containers. Garden trimmings not in an approved refuse container must be cut in lengths not to exceed six feet in length and must be stacked neatly for pickup.
2. Only materials generated by the resident or homeowner will be collected by City crews. Commercial waste is not acceptable.
3. Materials must be placed in the parkway (typically the area between the sidewalk and the curb) or at the end of the driveway near the street (especially if cars park along the street during the day) no earlier than 2 p.m. on the day prior to scheduled pickup and no later than 6 a.m. on the day of pickup. 
4. Materials must be placed at least 4 feet from garbage or recycling carts, other solid waste materials (including leaves, brush, and bulk), trees, poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, inlets, utility infrastructure, power lines, or other objects, and at least 10 feet away from vehicle parked in the street.

Composting Resources

Yard Waste Composting

The Ecology Action Center, Town of Normal, and City of Bloomington all invite residents to explore new, easy-to-use backyard composting instructions found at www.CompostBN.org. Backyard composting is an easy way to recycle yard waste into valuable, soil-improving, organic material. A new instructional flyer lists three simple steps to get started composting—it’s that easy. Click here to view the flyer.

Backyard composting is an easy and natural process that allows for recycling of natural materials into nutrient rich compost. It not only helps conserve natural resources, improve your garden, and reduce the direct costs of solid waste management, it also helps improve air quality. Proper composting of natural materials prevents the generation of harmful methane gas that is created when natural materials are landfilled instead, where little to nothing can break down. In addition, less yard waste to be picked up curbside means less truck emissions on residential streets and better air quality for all.

From compost bins designed and built in-house, to expert troubleshooting, to guidance on use of finished compost, the Ecology Action Center professional staff is available to support your composting effort. The EAC’s composting workshops and other in-person educational offerings will resume in later reopening phases. Meanwhile, visit www.ecologyactioncenter.org for more information, or to order low-cost but durable composters. Local residential delivery fees are currently waived in order to maximize access to a pre-made composter for those who want one.

Community Composting

Do you want to compost but don’t want to deal with the mess? Do you want to use compostable food packaging from your favorite local restaurant but know it’s not compostable in a backyard compost pile? Maybe you live in an apartment and don’t have anyplace to compost. Easy residential composting service is now available through a unique drop-off program using a kiosk with key-card access. The program is sponsored, in part, by the Ecology Action Center. Residents can sign up for the service through the purchase of a Kiosk Starter Kit. The Starter Kit includes a 5-gallon bucket, educational materials, a 30-pack of compostable liners, and your kiosk access card.  When you run out of liners, you can purchase a refill, which includes another 30 liners and covers composting costs. For more information about this program, visit: www.BNCommunityComposting.org.

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