Properly prepared yard waste is picked up by the Town of Bethlehem Highway Department and is composted at the town's
Compost Facility.
Yard waste must be placed in biodegradable PAPER bags* or in reusable containers (
not over 32 gallons or 50 pounds each).
Brush and branches under 4 feet in length should be piled neatly along the sides of the road, not so high or so wide as to obstruct roadways or line of sight and not in the roadway itself.
Placing debris into the roadway constitutes a violation of the Vehicle and Traffic Law as well as creates a hazardous situation for pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic. Please make sure that storm drainage inlets are also kept clean of leaves and branches to ensure proper drainage.
You can help us move through neighborhoods more quickly by:
- Keeping bags and containers light. Each of our crew members hoists literally tons of yard debris every day. Lighter bags and containers allow them to move more quickly, and decreases the chances of them being injured.
- Keeping piles at a reasonable size. Spending a lot of time clearing a truck-sized pile from one house means that we won’t have time to clear debris from neighboring homes.
- Taking your debris directly to the Compost Facility. Every house that does this frees us to go to another house, especially those whose residents are physically unable to move their debris on their own.
Acceptable Items
Acceptable items include leaves, grass, and hedge clippings placed at curbside in biodegradable PAPER bags or in reusable containers (
not over 32 gallons or 50 pounds each), as well as brush and branches under 4 feet in length stacked neatly at curbside. No other items or materials are accepted, and all non-conforming items will not be collected.
No brush or trees from private contractors will be accepted.