Residential Service
Yard Waste & Green Waste Removal
Overview
What yard waste removal covers
Yard waste is the category most likely to exceed what a municipal collection will take. Cities generally limit bundle length, bundle weight, the number of bags per collection, and often refuse anything above a certain branch diameter. A single afternoon of tree trimming can produce more than a month of allowed collection.
It is also deceptively heavy. Green wood, wet leaves, sod and soil weigh far more than their volume suggests — a pickup bed of wet sod can exceed the vehicle's payload rating. This is one of the few residential categories where weight, not volume, is usually the limiting factor.
Junk Koala clears brush, branches, storm debris, leaves, sod and old landscaping materials, and routes them to green waste and composting facilities where the local market has them. Clean green waste is one of the most reliably diverted materials in the whole business — it becomes mulch and compost rather than landfill.
Who this is for
- Homeowners after a big trimming, pruning or clearing weekend
- Anyone dealing with storm damage and downed limbs
- Households replacing a lawn, a bed or old landscaping
- Property owners clearing an overgrown yard before a sale
- Anyone whose pile exceeds what the city will collect
- Landlords clearing a neglected yard between tenancies
What's included
What we take from a yard
Green waste
- Branches, limbs and brush
- Hedge and shrub trimmings
- Bagged leaves and grass clippings
- Removed shrubs, bushes and root balls
- Sod and turf
- Storm-downed limbs and debris
Landscaping materials
- Old mulch and bark
- Landscape timbers and edging
- Decorative rock and gravel
- Broken pavers and retaining blocks
- Old fencing and lattice
- Dismantled raised beds and planters
Yard structures and items
- Broken patio furniture
- Old grills and fire pits
- Play sets and swing sets
- Trampolines
- Sheds already dismantled
- Above-ground pool frames and liners
Our approach
How Junk Koala handles yard waste
Loaded from where the pile is
Crews load from the back yard, side yard or wherever the debris actually sits. Dragging brush to the curb first is optional.
Green waste separated from everything else
Clean organics go to composting or mulching facilities where the market has them. Mixing a few plastic pots into a green load can disqualify the whole thing, so separation happens at loading.
Weight managed deliberately
Soil, sod, rock and green wood are dense enough that a truck reaches its legal weight limit long before it looks full. Crews scope these jobs on weight, which is why a small-looking pile can be a full load.
Structures dismantled as needed
Play sets, trampolines, raised beds and above-ground pool frames are taken apart on site so they can be loaded and hauled in one visit.
Cost & preparation
What moves the price, and how to get ready
What affects the price
- Weight, which is the primary driver for soil, sod, rock and green wood
- Volume for lighter material such as leaves, brush and trimmings
- Whether green waste can be kept clean and taken to a composting facility, which is usually cheaper than mixed disposal
- Carry distance from the pile to the truck, particularly for back yards with gate-only access
- Whether structures need dismantling before removal
- Local green waste facility rates and whether one is within range of the market
How to prepare
- Keep green waste clean — no plastic pots, bags, wire, netting or trash mixed in. Contaminated loads cannot go to composting and cost more to dispose of.
- Pile the debris in one accessible spot if you can, ideally where a truck can get reasonably close.
- Make sure gates are unlocked and wide enough, and mention it if back yard access is only through the house.
- Let the crew know if the load contains soil, sod, rock or masonry — those change the estimate more than anything else.
- Bag loose leaves and clippings rather than leaving them loose, which makes loading far faster.
FAQ
Yard Waste Removal questions
Do you cut down trees?
No. Junk Koala removes debris that is already on the ground; felling, climbing and limbing a standing tree is arborist work and requires different licensing and equipment. Once a tree service has done the cutting, the crew can clear what they leave.
Can you take soil and dirt?
Yes, but it is priced by weight rather than volume, and it fills a truck's legal capacity very quickly. A cubic yard of wet soil can weigh well over a ton, so even a modest-looking pile is a significant load.
Is yard waste actually composted?
Clean green waste is, where a composting or mulching facility serves the market — it is one of the most reliably diverted materials in junk removal. Loads mixed with plastic, treated lumber or trash cannot be composted and are disposed of instead.
Can you remove an old shed or play set?
Yes. Play sets, swing sets, trampolines and above-ground pool frames are dismantled and removed as part of the job. Sheds can be removed too, though a large or permanently anchored shed should be described in the quote request so it is scoped properly.
What about treated lumber and railroad ties?
Pressure-treated lumber, railroad ties and painted wood cannot go to composting and are disposed of as construction debris instead. Some facilities restrict creosote-treated ties specifically, so mention them when you book.
Related
Other services people book with this
Garage Cleanouts
Get the garage back — sorted, cleared and swept in a single visit.
View serviceResidential Junk Removal
Single items through whole-home cleanouts, handled by a local crew that does the carrying.
View serviceConstruction Debris Removal
Drywall, lumber, flooring and demolition debris cleared between trades.
View serviceHot Tub Removal
Old spas drained, cut down and hauled out — including from decks and back yards.
View service
Guides on this
Get started
Need yard waste removal?
Book a pickup or send us the details and we'll come back with a price.
