Saskatoon Leaf and Yard Waste Options, Explained

In Saskatoon, you have three main options for leaves and yard waste. Put them loose in your green cart, which the City picks up every two weeks. Take extra loads to the free Compost Depot on Highway 7 at 11th Street. Or mow dry leaves into your lawn and keep them at home. No plastic bags go in the green cart, and elm never goes in either one.

How does the green cart work for yard waste?

Houses on the city-wide program get a green cart. It takes food scraps and yard waste, all year round. The City picks it up every two weeks, from the same spot as your blue and black carts. If your carts go in the back lane, the green one does too.

Yard waste goes in loose. Don't use plastic bags. If you want a liner, the City allows two kinds:

• A BPI-certified compostable bag
• A 100% paper liner

The City's collection calendar shows your pickup week. You can also sign up for reminders, or use the Saskatoon Waste Wizard app. With pickup only every two weeks, one missed day means a full month of leaves.

What yard waste goes in the green cart?

Most of what you rake, pull or clip in October can go in:

• Leaves
• Grass clippings
• Dead plants and garden trimmings
• Small shrub and tree clippings

Size matters for branches. Tree trimmings longer than 60 cm (2 feet) don't go in the cart. Neither do trimmings thicker than 2 cm (about 3/4 inch). Those go to the Compost Depot instead.

What stays out of the green cart?

• Plastic bags of any kind
• Elm wood. It goes to the landfill.
• Branches over the size limits above
• Regulated weeds under the provincial Weed Control Act. The City says to bag those and put them in your black cart.

Pulling weeds during cleanup? Our partner crews don't spray, and we don't give chemical advice.

How do you fit more leaves in a green cart?

One big maple can fill a cart fast. A few habits help.

• Let leaves dry before they go in. The City asks for this, and dry leaves pack lighter.
• Put your cart out every pickup, even when it isn't full.
• Spread the job out. Rake a bit each week instead of all at once.
• Use some leaves at home as mulch on your garden beds.

Still not enough room? You can order a second green cart for an extra fee. Call Corporate Revenue at 306-975-2400.

One note on cost. The green cart fee is charged monthly on your utility bill. If you refuse your cart, the fee stays. So it pays to use it.

Where is the Saskatoon Compost Depot?

The City's Compost Depot sits on Highway 7 at 11th Street. That's 1.8 km south of 22nd Street. It used to be called the West Compost Depot. The East Compost Depot is closed for good, so this is the only one.

Drop-off is free for Saskatoon residents. Here are the seasonal hours:

Days	Hours
7 days a week, holidays included	9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Last vehicle in	5:50 p.m.

It's self-serve, so bring a rake or shovel to unload. Cover your load on the drive over. The City's Waste Bylaw 8310 requires it on City streets.

What can you take to the Compost Depot?

• Leaves and grass
• Sod and topsoil
• Garden refuse
• Halloween pumpkins
• Non-elm branches, stumps and tree trimmings

The depot won't take food waste, lumber, sawdust, building materials or garbage. Watch for elm. A mixed load with even a few elm branches gets turned away.

When does the Compost Depot close for the season?

The City hasn't posted a 2026 closing date yet. As of October 1, its depot page lists only the spring opening. Last year, the depot closed on Saturday, November 8.

Don't count on the same date this year. Check the City's depot page before your last big load. You can also sign up for Compost Depot service alerts from the City's organics page, or call Customer Care at 306-975-2476.

Once the depot shuts, the green cart is your only City option until spring. Last winter, green cart pickup dropped to once a month from December to March. If the City does that again, late leaves can sit a long time. So try to finish big cleanups in October.

Can you mow leaves into your lawn instead?

Yes. The City's own lawn guide suggests it. A few passes with a mower break dry leaves into dime-sized bits. Those settle into the lawn and break down over winter.

The guide gives two limits:

• Mow only when the leaves are dry.
• Mow in no more than about six inches (15 cm) of leaves per season.

A thick, wet pile is too much. Rake most of it to the cart or the depot, then mulch the rest. Our post on mulching leaves with a lawn mower shows when each one works best.

Grass clippings work the same way. The City calls it "grasscycling." Leave clippings on the lawn and they add nutrients and hold moisture. That keeps room in your cart for leaves.

What about elm branches in Saskatoon?

Elm has its own rules, because of Dutch elm disease. It's illegal to cut or prune elm from April 1 to August 31. That comes from provincial rules, and the City repeats it. So fall is when elm pruning happens.

The disposal rule is simple. Elm never goes in the green cart, and the Compost Depot won't take it. It goes to the landfill. Keep elm in its own pile so it doesn't end up in a mixed load.

Not sure if a tree is elm? Ask before you trim. The City's Dutch elm disease page has help.

Should you keep mowing in October?

Yes, as long as the grass still grows. The City's lawn guide says to keep grass 5 to 9 cm (2 to 4 inches) tall. A sharp blade on dry grass gives the cleanest cut.

The average first fall frost at Saskatoon's airport comes around September 15. Grass slows down after that, but it often keeps growing for a while. Our guide to fall cleanup timing on the Prairies covers when to do the last jobs.

The property maintenance bylaw still applies, too. Bylaw 8175 calls grass or weeds over 20 cm (8 inches) overgrown. For watering, soil and neighbourhood notes, see our Saskatoon lawn care page.

Can a crew handle your Saskatoon fall cleanup?

Yes. Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local crew in Saskatoon. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.

Your crew can rake leaves and load your green cart the right way, with no plastic. They can handle the rest of a fall cleanup, like clearing beds and trimming shrubs. They can also keep up regular mowing until the grass stops. Ask your crew how they handle haul away for big leaf loads.

We measure your yard from satellite images, so no one needs to visit. Your cleanup price depends on lawn size, leaf volume, beds, slopes, gates and haul away. It comes by text in 60 minutes. You keep the same crew every visit, with a photo after every cut. Book the season through the Worry-Free Lawn Season and your first cut is free.

Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.

Saskatoon Yard Waste Questions

Rules change, so check with the City before you plan. Sources: Saskatoon green cart, Saskatoon organics, Compost Depot, 2025 depot closing, winter green cart schedule, City lawn guide, Saskatchewan Dutch elm disease, Bylaw 8175, Saskatoon climate normals.