During the months of December, January, and February yard waste is collected monthly. Please refer to the Recycling and Refuse Programs Brochure for specific dates.

In July of 1990, the State of Illinois implemented a ban on the disposal of yard waste in sanitary landfills. The City of Galesburg reacted to this legislation by developing a curbside yard waste collection program. The City's contractor, Waste Management, Inc., collects the yard waste and takes it to the Knox County Landfill Composting Facility. This is the same contractor that collects the recyclables and refuse. Residents in Galesburg may place their refuse, yard waste and recycling out at the curb on their refuse day.

Preparing Yard Waste

  • Yard waste is leaves, grass, shrub clippings, garden waste, brush and woody material. Christmas trees are not yard waste.
  • Yard waste must be in a paper yard waste bag or a refuse can marked with YW on the outside. Cardboard boxes are not acceptable containers.
  • Yard waste may also be bundled in lengths no more than 5 feet and less than 50 pounds in weight.
  • Tie for the bundles must be degradable.
  • No single piece of brush may be greater than 5 inches in diameter.
  • Absolutely no plastic bags are allowed for yard waste.
  • Yard waste is collected weekly from March through November; and monthly from December through February.
  • Raking leaves or moving grass into the street can result in fines.

Unknown Image Located at 636 Pickard Road, just west of Farm King.

This service is available to Galesburg residents who pay refuse charges on their water bill.

Dates and Times

Open seasonally: from the third Friday in March through the third Sunday in November

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Mulch and compost are available to Galesburg residents free of charge and can be picked up during the facilities operating hours. Mulch and compost are provided on a self-serve basis and residents should bring their own shovel to load the material.

Unknown Image Waste Management will pick up yard waste provided it is in a plastic or metal container marked as yard waste, 30-gallon paper yard waste bag or bundled less than 5 feet in length, less than 50 pounds and each limb is less than 5 inches in diameter. For brush and limbs that exceed the allowable limit for curbside pickup, residents can drop off the brush and limbs at the oversized brush drop-off site. Leaves and grass clippings are not accepted at the drop-off site.