Changes Announced for Acceptable Cedar Rapids Yard Waste and YARDY Cart Contents

Changes Announced for Acceptable Cedar Rapids Yard Waste and YARDY Cart Contents

Changes are being made to the list of items that are acceptable for City of Cedar Rapids residents to place in their YARDY yard waste carts. YARDY carts are the large green carts collected year-round on normal garbage pickup days. They hold yard waste such as sticks and twigs, leaves, and grass clippings, as well as compostable items like fruit and vegetable peelings and baked goods. The contents of YARDY carts are taken to the Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency’s (CRLCSWA) Compost Facility at Mt. Trashmore and made into compost, which in turn is available for residents to use on their yards and gardens.

Residents are asked to discontinue placing the following items in their YARDY carts: Paper plates, paper napkins, paper towels, pet waste, cat litter, and animal bedding for hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs. These items are no longer accepted at the CRLCSWA’s composting facility. Clean newspaper can go into the blue CURBY recycling containers, and soiled newspaper and the other previously mentioned items are disposable in the gray GARBY garbage carts, rather than YARDY carts.

“The Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency produces compost using a windrow process. This outdoor process can take four to six months to create nutrient rich compost,” said Joe Horaney, Communications Director for CRLCSWA. “Paper products, such as paper plates, napkins, and paper towels, create a litter hazard, as they do not decompose as quickly as organic material, such as leaves, grass clippings, and other yard waste. Solid Waste Agency compost is certified by the US Composting Council before distribution to Linn County residents. To meet US Composting Council standards, the Agency also does not accept animal bedding or cat litter to keep waste particles out of the screened compost. Because of these factors, the Agency does not accept those materials. They should be thrown in the garbage instead.”

For more information on yard waste, call the City Solid Waste and Recycling office at 319-286-5897 or visit CityofCR.com/Garbage.