Yard Waste

Residential yard waste drop-off centers

  • Parkside Drive – northwest Columbia, between Cosmo Park and Creasy Springs Road
  • Capen Park – south Columbia, along Rock Quarry Road near Stadium Boulevard

The City of Columbia maintains Yard Waste Drop-off Centers for Columbia residents to dispose of grass clippings, leaves, brush and small tree limbs. The yard waste disposed of at these locations is shredded and turned into mulch. The mulch is then transported to the City’s Sanitary Landfill. The majority of the mulched material is used for landfill operations, such as litter control, intermediated cover, and erosion control. The remainder is used as feed material for the City’s compost operation. Any mulch that remains at the Yard Waste Drop-off Centers is available for Columbia residents at no cost. The mulch can be picked-up anytime dawn until dusk 

Only leaves, grass clippings, brush or limbs up to 8 feet in length and 2 feet in diameter may be dropped off. Please remove bags or any other non-organic materials (e.g. nails, screws, rope, paint, buckets, etc.) that can contaminate the compost.  Note: Tree trunks larger than 8 feet and large root balls can only be disposed in the landfill and will be charged the landfill rate.

Yard waste drop-off centers are for residential use only

Commercial customers should dispose of yard waste in their trash dumpster or drop off material at the Bioreactor Landfill. Call the Contact Center at 573.874.2489 if you need to start commercial trash services. The cost for this service is based on container size and a number of collections. We also offer roll-off containers for temporary projects. More information can be found on the Commercial Trash Services page.

Landfill

Yard waste with no trash mixed in may be taken to the Landfill. There is no cost for residents to dispose of tree limbs smaller than 8 feet, pallets, leaves or grass clippings at the Landfill’s compost site. 

Large root balls and tree trunks 8 feet in length or larger cannot be accepted for our compost operation. Those items can only be disposed of in the Landfill and will be charged the landfill rate.

Curbside collection

You can place yard waste in your roll cart to be collected on your regular collection day. Yard waste can be used in the City’s Bioreactor Landfill to accelerate the decomposition and stabilization of waste. Methane gas (among others) is collected from the landfill to generate electricity at the City’s Bioenergy Plant.

Place leaves, grass, twigs and branches too small to bundle in your roll cart. 

Bundled limbs and yard waste that are not in your roll cart will not be collected.

Backyard composting (not collected)

Yard waste

Composting involves mixing yard and household organic waste in a pile or a bin and providing conditions that encourage decomposition. The decomposition process is fueled by millions of microscopic organisms (bacteria, fungi) that take up residence inside your compost pile, continuously devouring and recycling it to produce a rich organic fertilizer and valuable soil amendment.

Vermicomposting

“Vermi” is Latin for worm. Vermicomposting is the practice of using worms to break down food scraps. The resulting material is a mix of worm castings and decomposed food scraps. Worms like to feed on slowly decomposing organic materials like fruit and vegetable scraps. The worms produce castings that are full of beneficial microbes and nutrients that make a great plant fertilizer. Worms are very efficient at breaking down food scraps and can eat more than half their body weight in organic matter every day.

For more information, check out our FREE Composting Workshops!

Columbia’s Own Compost is also available for purchase.