By Vivienne Leyva
Public Information Officer
MANHATTAN, Kan. – March 31, 2026) — The City of Manhattan Spring Cleanup starts next week. From Monday, April 6 through Friday, April 10, city crews will collect bagged yard waste, tree limbs, and branches from residential neighborhoods in the City of Manhattan."This is a great way to get ready for spring," said Vivienne Leyva, Public Information Officer for the City of Manhattan. "Not everyone has easy access to a truck, and yard waste can be difficult to transport. Each year, City crews help get ready for the season by hauling away yard waste for neighbors."Please note: No construction debris, household trash, or other materials will be collected. Crews will only pick up residential yard waste.
City crews will follow an assigned schedule (see map below) and visit each neighborhood only once to pick up yard waste at the curb. When one neighborhood is finished, they will move on to the next area on the schedule. If weather or other factors cause delays, they will simply follow the order of neighborhoods and move as quickly as possible. "If someone misses their neighborhood's pick up date, or doesn't have the opportunity to put out their yard waste in time, thankfully, the Riley County Transfer Station at 1881 Henton Rd accepts residential yard waste year round at no charge," explained Leyva.It's also important to note that City crews will not enter private property. Property owners are responsible for moving leaves and bagged vegetation to the curb by 7:00 AM on their scheduled pick up date.
Please follow these simple steps to make sure items are picked up:
- Bag Yard Waste Properly: Use paper yard waste bags (available at local retailers) for grass clippings and leaves. Plastic bags and containers will not be picked up!
- Separate Piles for Limbs and Branches: Place them next to the curb for easy pickup by hand or with equipment, with limbs and brush parallel to the curb. Do not put them in the street or too far back in the yard. Mixed piles that are not properly separated will not be collected.
- Keep Piles Loose: Stack branches in a loose pile (no rope or twine). Scrap lumber or foreign objects will not be accepted. (Participating contractors may pick up scrap lumber on regular trash pickup days.)
- Have Items Ready on Pickup Day: Check the cleanup map below to know what day crews will be in your area. Have all items to the curb before 7 a.m. on that day. Crews will not return for missed pickups.
In addition to the City haul-off effort, participating trash providers — Average Joe’s, B&L, Garibay, Howie’s, and Pick Pink — will collect trash and debris on regular pickup days for their customers only."We're extremely grateful for all the partnerships that make the annual cleanup successful," said Leyva. "It's great to see people work together to make Manhattan beautiful."
Items Not Accepted for Pickup:
- Major household appliances
- Tires and batteries
- Concrete, rock, or construction/demolition debris
- Household hazardous waste (paint, thinners, lubricants, pesticides, etc.) — Take these instead to the Riley County Noxious Weed Department, located at 6245 Tuttle Creek Blvd.
List of dates and pickup areas:
- Monday, April 6 — areas south of Anderson and west of Westwood
- Tuesday, April 7 — areas north of Anderson and west of Seth Child
- Wednesday, April 8 — all areas north of Anderson Avenue, between Seth Child Road and North Manhattan Avenue
- Thursday, April 9 — all areas north of Ratone/Ehlers, east of North Manhattan Avenue and Tuttle Creek Boulevard
- Friday, April 10 — all areas south of Anderson Avenue, between Westwood and North Manhattan Avenue, and all areas southeast of North Manhattan Avenue and Ratone/Ehlers