NORWICH — The City of Norwich will be collecting yard waste and debris until May 13.

Department of Public Works (DPW) employees will pick up fallen leaves, twigs, branches, and grass clippings left in paper or biodegradable bags left on the curb. All items left for collection must be light enough for one person to lift to shoulder height.

According to the City of Norwich, brush must be bundled and tied together with string, rope, or twine; no wire. Brush bundles must be no longer than six feet, and the largest diameter of brush and branches is three inches.

Leaves, grass clippings, and twigs must be put into paper or biodegradable bags, which the city began requiring last year.

"As of [2023] the council decided that we need to head in that direction for environmental reasons, obviously, but also it’s so much easier for our employees. They don’t have to rip open the plastic bags for every bag to dump the leaves," said City of Norwich Mayor Brian Doliver. "It’s so much easier and faster. They have a pile and they can just dump those bags, and they just biodegrade themselves, without having to rip open all the plastic."


Cardboard boxes and plastic bags will not be collected. Additionally, the city cannot pick up stones; bags with papers, garbage, or animal feces; tree removals or stumps; or bush removals.

The city holds a yard waste and debris pickup twice per year, usually in the spring and fall. However, Doliver said they also try to collect yard waste after severe weather events and storms.

"We will do a pickup after that too, because we obviously understand that people have a lot of debris that gets kicked down during the storm. But that tends to be a special thing," said Doliver. "If it does happen, we're always amenable to trying to work with the public."

Individuals with questions about the spring yard waste pickup may contact the city offices at 607-334-1230.