Bag Requirements for Curbside Pickup
Residents who bag their yard waste for curbside pickup are required to use compostable bags – either plastic or paper – under a state law that went into effect January 1, 2010.
The legislation was put into place to reduce the amount of plastic that gets mixed in with yard waste, resulting in higher quality finished compost.
Compostable Bags
Compostable bags include paper Kraft bags or compostable plastic. Compostable plastic bags are usually clear or tinted a translucent shade of green, white, or pink; however the color is not the sure way of determining the compostability of a plastic bag. Compostable plastic bags should be clearly labeled "compostable" and include the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) logo (shown to the right). Bags marked "biodegradable" or "degradable" do not meet the requirements of the state law.
Purchase Bags Today
Compostable plastic bags are readily available at most home improvement, grocery, and hardware stores. If your yard waste is collected in a cart, you do not need to bag the waste before placing it in the cart. However, if you do, you will need to use a compostable bag, either plastic or paper.
Residents who bring yard waste to the Bunker Hills or Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Compost Sites are not required to use compostable bags as all yard waste brought to the sites must be debagged or unloaded and bags or containers taken home.
Compostable bags are required for residents who bring organic waste to either compost site. Learn more about the Organics Recycling Drop-off Program.