With spring cleaning coming up, DeKalb will make landscape waste containers available to city residents.

Starting April 1, various locations will be set up in the area to dump tree branches, leaves and other yard compost.

Residents will be able to place yard compost in containers specifically for the waste, as opposed to leaving it on the curb to be picked up.

Rick Monas, DeKalb Public Works director, stresses that these waste containers are for DeKalb residents only.

“We’ve had a problem in the past with the containers being abused by getting waste from people that aren’t from DeKalb, landscape contractors using them and receiving waste not considered landscape,” he said.

He also said they are currently working on setting up a security system around the containers to minimize similar occurrences.

“We’re looking into installing security cameras that will try to help resolve this issue,” Monas said.

According to chapter 15.11 of the DeKalb municipal code, people who abuse the use of the landscape waste containers will be fined no less than $250 and no more than $500 for each offense.

These containers will be available to residents until November.