Yard waste and landscaping: when the bin isn't enough

What the city already collects

If your home is inside South Bend city limits, the yard waste program runs from March 30 to December 3 in 2026. Subscribers get a cart picked up on trash day for grass, leaves, twigs and weeds.

Homeowners in the city can also ask 311 for one extra yard waste pickup a month: up to ten 30-gallon paper bags, or a cubic yard of limbs cut to four feet or less, no thicker than four inches and tied with twine. For a few bags, that's the simpler route.

When a container makes more sense

Limbs too thick or too long for the bundle rule, a row of shrubs pulled out roots and all, old landscape timbers, rotted raised beds and a winter's worth of storm debris are all jobs where a roll-off saves weeks of set-outs.

Brush is airy and stacks badly. Cut branches into lengths that lie flat, and put the bushiest material in first so heavier pieces press it down.

Soil and rock go separately

The city's yard waste carts refuse dirt and rocks, and many dumpster companies want soil in its own small, clean load. The concrete and dirt page covers heavy loads. If you need mulch afterward, Organic Resources at 4340 Trade Drive lets you load mulch and compost yourself.