Where does your yard waste go?1 min read

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As fall comes to an end, so does the Region of Waterloo’s bi-weekly yard waste collection. Have you ever wondered where all the yard waste bags end up?

All 20,000+ tonnes of the Region’s yard waste and Christmas trees are sent to the Region of Waterloo’s Cambridge waste management facility. Once the material arrives at the waste site, it is chipped and arranged into long rows, known as windrows. This 16-acre composting site houses the material for around nine months, where it decomposes naturally into compost.

Over the course of the composting process, Regional staff monitor and mix the windrow material. Once the process is complete, a screen is used to remove any large pieces of garbage. The compost is now ready to be shared with residents! Watch for an announcement this spring to pick up free compost for your home garden. 

If you are interested in learning about other ways to deal with your fall leaves, please watch our video on the best way to deal with fall leaves.  

For more information on how to prepare yard waste for curbside collection, please visit the Region of Waterloo’s Yard Waste webpage. To get a reminder for your yard waste collection day and find out your last yard waste collection week, make sure to download and sign up for alerts on the Region of Waterloo’s Waste Whiz App.