Yard Waste Handling During the Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order

                              Yard Waste Handling During the Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order

Governor Whitmer’s Stay Home, Stay Safe Order—Executive Order 2020-42, which took effect on Thursday, April 9—allows Michiganders to continue critical infrastructure work that is necessary to sustain or protect life. The Order includes as necessary work trash pickup and disposal (including recycling and composting).

Waste and materials management activities play a vital role in protecting Michigan’s environment and public health and also return needed raw materials to essential sectors. Activities that meet the Executive Order’s definitions and thresholds may continue with precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (use of personal protective equipment, social distancing, hand washing, and disinfecting surfaces and equipment).  It remains up to individual businesses and municipalities to make decisions about the services they will continue, discontinue, or modify. 

In light of this, we are encouraging Michigan residents who have had their yard waste collection suspended to follow local guidelines, and when possible, either mulch their yard waste material into their lawn/garden or compost it on-site. 

To help with this, we have our Residential Frequently Asked Questions document available at www.Michigan.gov/EGLECompost.  Within this document is a link to our residential composting guide:  Reap A Heap of Benefits. 

PLEASE NOTE:  The State of Michigan law prohibiting disposal of yard waste in a landfill remains in effect. 

Yard debris should not be burned. Due to the Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order, most burn permits are suspended across the state. For more information, please view the information at Michigan.gov/OpenBurning.

If you have questions, please contact Mr. Aaron Hiday, Compost Program Coordinator, Sustainable Materials Management Unit, Solid Waste Section, Materials Management Division, EGLE, at 517-282-7546 or HidayA@Michigan.gov.  

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