All 2008 sessions are now full. Need options? We do have information about do-it-yourself chipping. 

Turn woody debris into valuable chips for landscaping, mulching, and composting.  The City will arrange for a chipper and a two-person crew to come to your neighborhood for two hours of free wood chipping.  The resultant chips are left on site for residents to use. Chipping events are scheduled for groups of four or more households that are on City of Olympia garbage service.

Why should my neighborhood chip? By chipping your woody debris, you are recycling it without paying to haul it off. Wood chips are a great source of nutrients for yards. You can use it as mulch or compost it. Using wood chips as mulch helps retain moisture around plants, which reduces the amount of water you use.

When are chipping events held? Chipping sessions are held on select Saturdays between mid-February and November.  Be aware that sessions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so schedule early.

Who can have a chipping event? You can schedule and hold a neighborhood wood-chipping event if you meet both of the following criteria:

• You are a City of Olympia residential garbage and recycling customer. (You have a green recycling cart.)
• You have at least four households participating.

What can be chipped?

• Limbs and branches up to 6” in diameter (longer is better).
• Woody debris from shrubs and plants.

What cannot be chipped?

• Vines, like ivy and blackberry.
• Holly or thorny material.
• Juniper
• Twisted branches like rhododendron.
• Limbs with wide forks.
• Dirt-covered branches.
• Lumber - we can’t risk damaging the machine with a nail.

How must my pile be prepared? Location and preparation is key.  The work will go a lot faster if you follow these few simple steps. 

• The pile location needs to be accessible from the street but in a place the chipper machine will not block traffic.
• Find a centralized location in your neighborhood.
• Make sure there is room for the chips to rest.
• Limbs should be left long but no larger than 6" in diameter.
• Stack limbs facing the same direction. 

Does the City provide chips? No. The best way to get wood chips is to call a tree service company. You can look them up in the yellow pages or online. Tree service companies usually have to pay to dispose of the chips, so often they are happy to give them to residents instead. Generally you will have to work around their schedule and accept the chips when they have them. It will also mean you need to take quite a large amount.

Need More Information about Public Works Programs or Services? Contact the Public Works office.

• Physical Address: 924 7th Ave. SE, Suite A 
• Mailing Address:  PO Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507
• Download printer-friendly (PDF) directions to our office
• Hours:  M - F from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except City-recognized holidays)
• Phone: (360) 753-8588
• TTY: (360) 753-8270
• Email: Public Works