Limb Pickup / Compost

Curbside Limb Chipping

1. Brush and limbs will be picked up at your curb by the City of Ely Public Works Department every other Tuesday starting at 8am during the months of April – October at no charge. Limb chipping week coincides with recycling week.
2. All limbs must be cut to a length not to exceed 8’ and must be less than 6’’ in diameter.
   1. Piles must not exceed 3' wide x 3' high x 8' long
3. All limbs must be trimmed of their smaller branches.
4. All limbs and brush shall be placed by the curb in a neat pile, laid in the same direction for easy pickup by staff.
   1. One pile per house, per week is permitted for limb chipping.
5. DO NOT tie or bundle brush together. Simply place them in a pile at curbside.
6. All brush and limbs will be chipped on site and may leave a small amount of debris. The homeowner will be responsible to “sweep” this up occasionally.
7. Piles may be placed at the curb starting the Saturday prior to pickup.
8. This service is not intended for the removal of an entire tree but for trimmings only.
   1. If you are removing an entire tree, you should arrange to have it removed and hauled away.
   2. In the case of a wind storm or an emergency event, this policy may be changed to accommodate the extra material.
9. DO NOT place leaves, garden waste or grass clippings at your curbside, they will NOT be picked up. 
   1. These items can be taken to the compost bunker located outside the Public Works Facility off Vista Road
10. If any of the above regulations are not met, the entire limb pile will be left at your curb. A notice will be given indicating why the pile was not picked up - limbs will need to be removed from the curb by the owner within 24 hours.
11. Questions can be directed to City Hall at 319-848-4103.

Mulching

When taking lawn waste to the compost pile it creates a large amount of work for staff and also secondary services are hired to haul away the excess which costs Ely taxpayers. While Ely City Council realize the benefits of providing a compost drop site, a goal this year is to reduce the amount of lawn waste being dropped at the site. The year the city is promoting the advantages of mulching your lawn and leaves.