City guide · Hamilton, ON
Hamilton Yard Waste Rules for Your Fall Cleanup
Hamilton picks up yard waste every week on your collection day, and there's no limit. Use brown paper yard waste bags, bushel baskets or an open-top bin marked with free City stickers. No plastic bags. Keep each one under 50 lb. Set it out between 7 pm the night before and 7 am. Curbside pickup stops for winter in early December, but the City's three recycling centres take yard waste free all year.
What can go out with Hamilton yard waste?
Most of what a fall cleanup makes is fine. The City takes these at the curb:
- Leaves
- Grass clippings
- Garden waste and plants
- Fallen fruit
- Branches, sticks, twigs and brush, bundled and tied with string
- Pumpkins, with the candles and decorations taken off
Branches have a size limit. Anything more than 9 cm (3.5 inches) across stays at the curb. Take thick limbs to a Community Recycling Centre instead.
What gets an "Oops!" sticker?
If the truck leaves a bright orange Oops! sticker on your bag or bin, something in it didn't belong. The City lists these as the usual problems:
- Dirt and rocks
- Sod
- Tree stumps
- Lumber
- Artificial trees and plants
Noxious weeds like Giant Hogweed go in the garbage, not yard waste. And don't toss leaves in your green bin. Hamilton stopped taking yard waste in the green bin. Leaves and grass now go to an outdoor composting site at the Glanbrook Landfill.
Which bags and bins does Hamilton accept?
You have three choices: brown paper yard waste bags, bushel baskets, or a hard reusable bin with an open top. Blue boxes, cardboard boxes and green bins won't be picked up as yard waste.
Paper yard waste bags
- Buy them at local stores.
- Roll the top shut, with no branches poking out.
- Keep each bag under 50 lb.
- Plastic bags full of leaves won't be collected.
Your own bin
- Handles on opposite sides.
- No bigger than 135 litres.
- Under 50 lb when full.
- Take the lid off, and remove bungee cords or ties.
- Drill holes in the sides and bottom so water drains out.
- Put City yard waste stickers on each side, facing the street.
A bin saves you buying bags every week. But a 135 litre bin of wet leaves gets heavy fast. Fill it part way after a rainy week.
Where do you get free yard waste stickers in Hamilton?
The stickers are free. Pick them up at any Municipal Service Centre. The Community Recycling Centres hand them out too, at the container cage from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm.
The stickers go on reusable bins. They help the collectors tell your yard waste apart from garbage.
When does curbside yard waste pickup end in Hamilton?
It usually stops in early December. The City hasn't posted this year's end date yet. Here's what happened last season, so you know the pattern:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Week of December 1, 2025 | Last curbside yard waste pickup |
| December 5, 2025 onward | Drop-off at Community Recycling Centres only |
| March 2, 2026 | Curbside pickup started again |
The City says most yard waste comes out in mid-November. That's your busy window. Check your waste collection schedule each fall for the exact last week on your street.
Yard waste rides on its own truck. It might come at a different time than your garbage or blue box. So have it out by 7 am even if the garbage truck usually comes late.
Where can you drop off yard waste for free?
Hamilton runs three Community Recycling Centres. Yard waste from your home is free to drop off all year. Yard waste from a business costs money.
| Centre | Address |
|---|---|
| Dundas | 27 Olympic Drive, Dundas |
| Kenora | 460 Kenora Avenue, Hamilton |
| Mountain | 37 Kilbride Road, Hamilton Mountain |
All three are open Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm. They're closed Sundays and holidays. One catch: trailers aren't allowed at any centre. Load your car or truck bed instead.
The centres are handy after curbside pickup ends in December. They're also the place for branches too thick for the curb.
Can you rake leaves onto the road in Hamilton?
No. The City has asked people not to rake leaves or yard waste onto the road. Put them in paper bags or bins at the curb instead.
Keep filled bags dry until pickup day, the City says. Wet paper tears, and soggy leaves weigh more. Stand bags in the garage or under a tarp when rain is coming.
Do you have to bag every leaf?
No. The City says leaves can work as mulch in other parts of your garden. Leaves break down slower than grass, so a thin layer works best.
You can also mow light leaf cover right into the lawn. Our post on mulching leaves with a lawn mower covers when that works and when you should rake instead. Thick, wet mats left all winter can smother the grass.
Grass clippings don't need bags either. Hamilton asks people to leave clippings on the lawn. Most people find them gone within three days of mowing.
Spotting weeds or disease while you clean up? Our partner crews don't spray, and we don't give advice on weed killers or other chemicals.
How should you plan a fall cleanup in Hamilton?
Hamilton's airport station sees its first fall frost around October 14 on average, by Environment and Climate Change Canada's long-term normals. Leaves keep dropping for weeks after that. So plan for a few passes, not one.
- Early October: keep mowing about once a week. The City suggests a blade height of 6 to 7.5 cm (2.5 to 3 inches). Never cut more than one third of the grass at once.
- Mid October: clear the first leaves while they're dry. Put a few bags out each week, since there's no limit.
- Mid November: do the big rake when most leaves are down. Trim back perennials and tie up any branches.
- Late November: get the last bags out before curbside pickup stops. Later leaves go to a recycling centre.
Keep the grass in check until it stops growing. Hamilton's Yard Maintenance By-law 10-118 says grass and weeds can't top 20 cm (8 inches). Our post on when grass stops growing helps you time the last cut. For a step by step list, see the fall lawn cleanup checklist.
Lots of lawns on the Mountain sit on heavy clay. A federal soil survey calls it very sticky when wet, with poor to fair drainage. Rake those yards before the leaves get soggy. Our Hamilton lawn care page has more on soil, watering and local rules.
Can someone handle the leaves for you?
Yes. A Hamilton fall means weeks of raking, bagging and hauling. Lots of people would rather have it done before the trucks stop.
Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local crew in Hamilton. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.
Your crew can do a fall cleanup: leaves, sticks and debris cleared, plus your last cut. They can keep up your regular mowing until the grass stops too. Ask your crew how they handle haul away, since they're a business and business yard waste isn't free at the recycling centres.
We price every yard by its size from satellite images, so no one needs to visit. A cleanup price depends on lawn size, how many leaves you have, gates, slopes, hedges and haul away. You get your price by text in 60 minutes. You keep the same crew every visit, and they text you a photo when the job is done. Book the season through the Worry-Free Lawn Season and your first cut is free. Live nearby? We also cover Brantford, St. Catharines and other Ontario cities.
Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.
Hamilton Yard Waste Questions
Is there a limit on yard waste bags in Hamilton?
No. You can put out as much yard waste as you like on your pickup day every week. Each bag or bin just has to stay under 50 lb.
Does Hamilton take leaves in plastic bags?
No. Plastic bags full of yard waste won't be collected. Use brown paper yard waste bags, a bushel basket or an open-top bin with City stickers.
What do I do with leaves after curbside pickup ends?
Take them to a Community Recycling Centre in Dundas, on Kenora Avenue or on the Mountain. Drop-off is free all year for yard waste from your home. Curbside pickup starts again in early March.
Can I put yard waste in my green bin?
No. Hamilton's green bin is for food scraps and soiled paper. Yard waste goes in paper bags or stickered bins and gets composted at a separate outdoor site.
Rules change, so check with the City before you plan. Sources: Hamilton yard waste, Community Recycling Centres, 2025 winter pickup notice, leaf and yard waste tips, fall yard waste reminders, property by-laws, Hamilton A climate normals.
