Home / Environment / Indy Residents Face Extra Costs as Leaf Composting Program Halted
Indy Residents Face Extra Costs as Leaf Composting Program Halted
4 Nov
Summary
- Indy's leaf collection program will not offer composting this year
- Residents must pay $35+ to have leaves composted privately
- Leaves sent to landfill release methane, a potent greenhouse gas
As of November 4th, 2025, Indy's Department of Public Works (DPW) has announced that its annual leaf collection program will not be used for composting this year. This change means that residents who do not want their yard waste going to the landfill will have to pay for private composting services.
The DPW's leaf collection program will run from November 10th to December 5th, 2025, allowing residents to leave up to 40 bags of leaves per week for pickup at no additional cost. However, the collected leaves will now be transported to the South Side Landfill, which will not offer leaf composting this year.
To have their leaves composted, Indy residents must use the for-profit GreenCycle service, which charges a $35 fee for a pickup truck full of leaves, with a sliding price scale for larger vehicles. Customers can then purchase the finished compost from GreenCycle for around $40 per yard.
This shift away from composting is concerning, as yard waste, including leaves, contributed just over 12% of the nation's solid waste in 2018. When leaves are buried in landfills without access to oxygen, they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Landfills are a leading contributor to human-related methane emissions in the United States.
