A Look at Chicago’s Yard Waste Program

Sara Strasser takes pride in her backyard garden where she grows hundreds of tomatoes each year. But every autumn the Chicago teacher wonders about another red-and-gold “harvest” — the leaves that fall from trees in her South Side Beverly neighborhood, and make for great compost.  

So she asked Curious City a question that went along these lines: What happens to the yard waste Chicagoans place in the alley for collection? Does the city actually engage in any composting?

We’ve gotten several variations on this question from Curious Citizens. Sara and others say they’ve been confused by changes in how the city handles yard waste over recent years, and they’ve been left feeling suspicious by the ups-and-downs of Chicago’s recycling program.