Yard Waste Collection

The City of Bradenton provides once-per-week yard waste collection to its residents. Yard waste includes tree branches, leaves, grass clippings, palm fronds, brush, and other types of plant material resulting from the maintenance of your own yard or landscaping.

Yard Waste Collection Guidelines

Residential yard waste is collected once per week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, depending on your address).
Yard waste must be placed curbside no later than 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.

How to Prepare Yard Waste

Preferred Method: Yard waste should be placed in your blue City-issued yard waste container whenever possible.

If you have extra yard waste that doesn't fit in your blue container, it must be:

o Neatly bundled and tied with rope or twine (preferred), or

o Placed in paper yard waste bags.

Each bundle or yard waste container must weigh less than 50 pounds.
Limbs and branches must be no longer than 3 feet long and no more than 6 inches in diameter (and weigh no more to 50 pounds).

Acceptable yard waste materials

Grass clippings
Shrubs and tree trimmings (no longer than 3 ft and/or 6 in. diameter)
Leaves
Palm fronds
Small tree limbs and branches (must be bundled if not in the blue cart).
Live Christmas trees can be collected; trees over 6 feet must be cut in half. Please remove all decorations and ornaments before placing at the curb.

A Note About Volume

City collection is designed for routine yard maintenance, not large landscaping or tree removal jobs.

If you have a large volume of yard debris, you may need to arrange for special collection or haul-away service. To schedule a pickup, call 941-708-6340.

Fees of $17.87 per cubic yard will be charged to the service address.

Yard waste generated by any business that provides lawn maintenance, tree trimming, or tree removal must also be hauled away by the business providing the service.

These Items are Not Allowed in Your Yard Waste

Non-acceptable Items

Garbage (or garbage mixed in with yard waste)
Loose leaves
Dirt/gravel
Lumber
Scrap metal(s)
Pet waste or food waste
*Household hazardous waste

**Yard waste that is placed in plastic bags will be subject to fines based on cubic yard.

Manatee County residents can drop off their household hazardous waste (HHW) and electronic scrap (e-Scrap) on the third Saturday of every month from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Lena Road Landfill (3333 Lena Road, Bradenton, FL 34211) free of charge.

HHW includes unwanted household products labeled as flammable, toxic, corrosive, or marked with warnings such as "danger," "warning," or "caution." These items should never be placed in your regular trash. The hauler will not collect them.

Bulk Yard Waste Collection

Holiday Collection Schedule

City offices will be closed on the following 2025 holidays. Yard waste collection changes are noted where applicable. If your regular pickup day is not listed, your service will continue as usual.

New Year's Day - Wednesday, January 1

No change in service.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Monday, January 20

Monday pickup moves to Tuesday
Tuesday pickup moves to Wednesday

Presidents' Day - Monday, February 17

Monday pickup moves to Tuesday
Tuesday pickup moves to Wednesday

Good Friday - Friday, April 18

No change in service

Memorial Day - Monday, May 26

Monday pickup moves to Tuesday
Tuesday pickup moves to Wednesday

Independence Day - Friday, July 4

Friday pickup moves to Saturday.

Labor Day - Monday, September 1

Monday pickup moves to Tuesday
Tuesday pickup moves to Wednesday

Veterans Day - Tuesday, November 11

Tuesday pickup moves to Wednesday

Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 27

Thursday pickup moves to Friday
Friday pickup moves to Saturday

Christmas Day -Thursday, December 25

Thursday pickup moves to Friday
Friday pickup moves to Saturday

New Year's Day (2026) - Thursday, January 1

Thursday pickup moves to Friday
Friday pickup moves to Saturday

Schedule subject to change. For latest information, please contact Solid Waste 941-708-6340.

Storm-Related Debris

Before Hurricane Season

Prevent storm debris by preparing your property for hurricane season (June 1 – Nov. 30). You can help reduce a storm’s impact by cutting back trees and vegetation that may affect power lines or other areas that could damage your home and property.

Prepare Your Property

Cut back all trees and weak branches that make contact with your home.
Thin foliage so wind can flow freely through branches, decreasing the chance that trees/plants will be uprooted.
Clear yard of any items, such as broken furniture, lumber and old toys, that could become missiles in a storm.
If you have trees trimmed or pulled by a contractor or landscaper, be sure to have them remove the debris.
Please do not trim vegetation just before a storm as it will not be collected until after the storm.

Once Storm Approaches

DO NOT cut down trees or do major yard work.
DO NOT begin construction projects that produce debris.
DO NOT trim vegetation of any kind once a watch or warning has been issued. Mass cutting places a tremendous burden on the collection process.
DO NOT place household garbage, trash, vegetation or other items on the curb for pickup. Loose debris on the curb could pose a threat during and after a storm. All curbside waste services will cease (up to 48 hours before storm landfall) due to safety issues.

After a Storm

If a storm impacts the City of Bradenton and the Debris Management Plan is activated, specialized collection schedules will be in place. Follow these guidelines to ensure efficient cleanup:

Not storm-related: Regular household trash or recycling, yard trimmings or grass clippings from routine maintenance, or items placed out for disposal before a storm are not considered storm-related debris and will not be collected by the City or a contractor if a Debris Management Plan is activated.

To ensure debris removal is conducted efficiently and safely, the City of Bradenton requests that residents follow these guidelines:

Place your debris curbside as soon as possible.
Priority will be given to areas with the most concentrated and unsafe debris.
Separate debris into specific categories for proper disposal:

o Vegetative debris (trees, branches, limbs and other leafy material)

o Construction materials (wood, fencing, drywall, glass, metal, roofing materials, tile, furnishings, fixtures, etc.)

o Appliances (refrigerators, ovens, freezers, air conditioners, washers, dryers, etc.)

Important Notes:

Hazardous waste (e.g., paint cans, pesticides, motor oil, batteries) will not be collected.
Do not place storm-related vegetative debris in trash bags or cans. Vegetative debris should be placed directly at the curb, between the back of the sidewalk and the street curb.
The City will not enter private property to collect debris.