The city is preparing to end its yard waste collection program for the season.

The city has set Dec. 21 as the last day that city crews will run the yard waste collection route, which picks up leaves, branches, grass clippings and other similar organic material.

The program is scheduled to resume on March 1. In the interim, yard waste materials can be set out with a household’s regular trash.

City crews in 2009 collected about 12,300 tons of grass and leaves. That material ended up being composted instead of taken to the landfill.