Can I put tree branches in a dumpster?

Usually yes, but some providers want yard waste kept separate or price it differently. Mention it when you call.

What size dumpster do I need for tree debris?

For a big cleanup of branches and brush, a 20 or 30 yard container is common. Logs and stumps are heavy and use up the weight allowance quickly.

Why do cities separate yard waste?

So it can be composted or mulched. EPA estimates that 63% of yard trimmings were composted or mulched in 2018.

Yard Waste & Tree Debris: Dumpster or City Pickup?

Q: Does my tree service haul away the debris?

Often yes, or as an option. Ask whether the quote includes hauling the wood, chipping branches and grinding the stump.

How much yard waste are we talking about?

Yard trimmings are a big part of what households throw away. The U.S. EPA estimated that 35.4 million tons of yard trimmings were generated in 2018 – about 12% of all municipal solid waste. Of that, about 22.3 million tons were composted or mulched, a composting rate of 63%, while about 10.5 million tons went to landfills. Many states and cities encourage or require yard waste to be kept separate from regular trash so it can be composted.

Option 1: City yard waste and brush pickup

Most cities collect some yard waste – in carts, bags or bundles, or as brush piles on a schedule. Typical rules:

branches cut to a maximum length and diameter, often bundled,
leaves and grass in paper bags or yard waste carts,
a volume limit per collection,
no stumps, soil, rocks or lumber,
no debris from paid contractors in many cities.

Examples from our city pages: Dallas collects up to 10 cubic yards of brush and bulky trash per month; San Antonio picks up brush and bulky items twice a year in piles up to eight cubic yards; Phoenix requires tree trimmings cut to less than 12 inches in diameter and 4 feet in length for bulk pickup. Check your city’s website for the exact rules.

City pickup is usually the cheapest option for regular pruning and small cleanups.

Option 2: Your tree service hauls it

If a professional removes a tree, debris removal is often included – or offered as an option. Angi puts the average cost of professional tree removal at about $750, with most jobs between about $200 and $2,000 and large trees near power lines costing much more. Ask whether the quote includes hauling the wood, chipping the branches and grinding the stump. Chipped branches can often stay on your property as mulch.

Option 3: A dumpster

A roll-off container makes sense when:

you are doing the work yourself over several days,
storm debris is more than city pickup can handle, or collection passes will take weeks,
yard waste is mixed with other debris, such as an old fence, a shed or a deck,
you are clearing an overgrown lot or a landscaping project with sod and soil.

Some providers accept yard waste mixed with other debris; others want it separate, or charge differently because it goes to a composting facility. Always mention yard waste when you call.

Sizing a container for yard waste

Yard waste behaves very differently depending on what it is:

Branches and brush: bulky and light, with lots of air between pieces. A 20 or 30 yard container is common for a big cleanup. Cut branches into shorter pieces and lay them flat to fit more.
Leaves and small trimmings: light; a small container fills by volume, not weight.
Logs and trunks: dense and heavy. Large trunks can take up much of a container’s weight allowance. Consider offering firewood to neighbors instead.
Stumps: very heavy, especially with soil attached. Grinding in place is often better than hauling.
Sod and soil: heavy, like dirt. Small containers only. See concrete and dirt disposal.

After a storm

After hurricanes, derechos and ice storms, cities often run special debris collections that ask residents to keep vegetative debris in its own pile, separate from construction debris, appliances and household trash. Follow those instructions if you use city collection. If you need the yard cleared faster, a private container is the alternative. See storm debris cleanup: what goes where.

Safety: fallen trees under tension, trees on power lines and large limbs hanging in the canopy are dangerous. Leave them to professionals and the utility.

Loading yard waste efficiently

Cut long branches into 3 to 4 foot pieces and lay them flat, all pointing the same way. Branches thrown in at random leave large air pockets.
Put heavy pieces first: logs and trunk sections on the bottom, brush on top – that keeps the load stable.
Walk on it carefully: some people compress brush by stepping on it; only do this if the container is on level ground and you can get in and out safely.
Keep soil out: shake dirt off roots and sod where possible. Soil adds a lot of weight without adding value to the load.
Don’t overfill: branches sticking up above the rim can make the container impossible to haul until trimmed.

Reuse and composting

Mulch: rent a chipper or ask your tree service to leave the chips.
Firewood: hardwood trunks can be split and seasoned, or offered to neighbors.
Composting: leaves and grass clippings make good compost.
Local programs: many cities and counties offer free or low-cost mulch made from residents’ yard waste.

Things that don’t belong in a yard waste load

treated or painted lumber (fences, decks) – this is construction debris, not yard waste,
plastic pots, bags and edging,
rocks and bricks,
invasive plants in some areas, which may need special handling,
pesticides, fertilizers and fuel from lawn equipment.

Timing through the year

Late winter: the best time to prune many trees and shrubs while they are dormant – and a good time to book a container for a big cleanup before spring.
Spring: storm season in much of the South and Midwest. Keep a provider’s number handy.
Summer: overgrown lots and landscaping projects. Sod removal and new beds produce heavy soil.
Fall: leaves. Most are better composted or collected by the city than put in a container.

Ice storms and wind storms

Ice storms can bring down huge amounts of limbs across a whole region in one night, and derechos and tornadoes flatten trees across neighborhoods. After those events, city crews may take weeks to collect curb piles. If you need your yard, driveway or roof cleared quickly, a container or a tree service with haul-away is faster. Separate vegetative debris from building debris if the city asks for it.

Questions to ask the provider

Do you accept yard waste, and can it be mixed with other debris?
Is a clean load of branches priced differently?
How much weight is included, and what do logs or stumps do to that?
Can the container be placed on grass or gravel near the work area?

How our service fits in

Local Dumpster Network is a free referral service. When you call, you are connected with an independent, local dumpster provider that serves your ZIP code. Tell them what kind of yard waste you have, and they will recommend a container and tell you how they handle it.

Yard waste and tree debris: dumpster or city pickup?