The City of Alpena will begin phasing in some changes to our residential bagged lawn waste program this season.

Beginning in 2025, residents will be encouraged to utilize compostable lawn waste bags to dispose of their lawn waste. The use of the bags brings multiple benefits to the city’s composting program which include being less labor intensive, eliminating landfilling the black plastic bags, and speeds up the composting process.

The most common brown paper composting lawn bags are locally available at several retailers. Beginning in 2026, the composting bags will be required for lawn waste to be picked up curbside.

For clarity of the overall program, the following procedure has been established:

All bagged lawn waste material, excluding brush, shall be placed on the curb by Nov.10 at 6 a.m. Any material placed at the curb after that time at 6 a.m. will not be collected. Material shall not be placed more than 48 hours in advance of Monday morning.

Bagged lawn waste material is for residential properties only.

Please remember that the bags may sit in front of your house for multiple days before being collected.

Bagged lawn waste shall contain lawn waste only. No soil, bushes or household waste will be accepted.

In the event that a pile has not been removed for any of the above reasons, city employees will place a door hanger at the residence explaining the reasoning. Any materials left within the right of way shall be removed within seven days to prevent code enforcement involvement.

The Public Works Service Center is open daily, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for drop-off of lawn materials for City residents only.

Additionally, the Public Works Service Center will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for drop-off of lawn material.

Please watch the City’s Facebook page for possible future weekend openings.

For more information contact City Engineer Steve Shultz at 989-354-1730 or via email at steves@alpena.mi.us or DPW Division Head Shannon Smolinski at 989-354-1781 at shannons@alpena.mi.us.