The Leaf Collection Recycling Program is one of several services provided by the Streets Department to honor the City's on-going commitment to recycling. This recycling program helps to reduce the amount of materials that reach the waste stream and saves landfill space.

• What are the dates of the program?
• What do residents need to know?
• Bagged leaf collection
• Mechanical leaf collection
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the dates of the program?

The 2008 Leaf Collection Recycling Program will begin Monday, November 10 and will end Friday, December 19.  Bagged leaf collection services are offered each week, citywide, along rubbish collection routes. Supplemental mechanical collection will be offered on a designated weekly schedule in some areas with a heavy concentration of leaves.

What do residents need to know?

BAGGED LEAF COLLECTION will be offered citywide, on a weekly basis, along rubbish collection routes.

A designated fleet of sanitation compactors will collect bagged leaves. These crews will be assigned to collect ONLY bagged leaves for the duration of the program, moving along rubbish collection routes in compactors, and will collect the bagged leaves in the same manner as rubbish collection crews normally operate.

Follow these tips for bagged leaf collection:

• Never mix trash or other recyclable materials with bagged leaves. This contaminates leaves and makes them unfit for recycling purposes.
• Set out leaf bags the day before your regularly scheduled trash collection day. Crews make every effort to collect bags within 2 days of set out.
• Citizens are urged to place leaves in large brown paper trash bags. By using these bags, you will help crews work more efficiently and more easily identify your bags as leaves. This helps to eliminate the extensive process of ripping open, dumping, and disposing of plastic bags. Leaves set out in other bags or containers may be collected as rubbish.

MECHANICAL LEAF COLLECTION is provided as a supplement to bagged collections in areas identified as having heavy accumulations of leaves.

These crews collect leaves in each designated mechanical collection areas, covering one (1) or two (2) Sanitation Areas each week. The crews use leaf blowers and mechanical sweepers to move leaves into the street. Tractor-trailer vacuums and/or leaf loaders are used to pick up the leaves. 

WEEK AREA DATE 1 5 11/10/08 to 11/14/08 2 1, 2 11/17/08 to 11/21/08 3 6 11/24/08 to 11/28/08 4 6 12/01/08 to 12/05/08 5 4 12/08/08 to 12/12/08 6 4 12/15/08 to 12/19/08

Due to the number of pieces of equipment used and the large cleaning boundaries to cover, crews are unable to make return visits to individual streets in the area once they move on to the next boundary.  Residents are urged to sweep and bag any remaining leaves and place them out for weekly bagged collections.

To find out if/when your block is scheduled for mechanical collection:

• Click here for Mechanical Leaf Collection Schedule Map
• Click here for Weekly Leaf Collection Schedule
• Click here to visit CityMaps website
• Click on "Service Areas"
• Read the "Terms of Use and Disclaimer", click "I Agree"
• Enter your address, click "Find"
• Select "Leaf Collection Areas" (and any other service areas of interest to you)
• Click on "FindCity Service Areas"
• Schedule information will be displayed
• Check your neighborhood newspaper for articles or ads
• Watch the City's Cable Station, Channel 64

Residents in mechanical leaf collection areas should follow these tips:

• All leaves should be raked and ready for collection by 7:00 AM the day of mechanical collection. Leaves should be raked into the street by the curb's edge (piling is not necessary).
• If possible, move your vehicle to an off-street parking location on your scheduled collection day, so crews can remove leaves along the curb line.
• Residents in mechanical areas can also set out bagged leaves.
• After the mechanical collection, please sweep and bag any remaining leaves and place them out for the weekly bagged collections.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why is the Streets Department encouraging residents to use brown paper bags?
Brown paper bags can be processed for recycling right along with the leaves. This reduces contamination in the recycling process, and allows for significant improvement in operational efficiency.

Where can I get large brown paper trash bags?
Brown paper bags are available at major home improvement stores.

What happens during weeks with City holidays?
No collection will occur on a City holiday.

Will rain affect the cleaning schedule?
No. Except in cases of extreme weather conditions, bagged and mechanical collection will occur rain or shine. In the event of adverse weather conditions, residents are urged to watch for updates on television, radio, or in local newspapers, regarding any changes in the collection schedule.

What if I see collection crews in my area ahead of schedule?
Residents should not be alarmed if any collection crews are in an area ahead of schedule. Crews will be working to eliminate problem spots when possible, and will return on the scheduled collection day. 

Why isn't my street part of the Leaf Collection route?
Bagged leaf collections occur citywide during the six-week program.  However, supplemental mechanical leaf collection boundaries were drawn to include certain geographical areas of the city based on the heavy concentration of leaves in those areas. Unfortunately, the drawing of the boundary lines separated people in the same neighborhoods.

How can I get my street included in the Leaf Collection route?
Leaf Collection resources are presently at capacity. No new boundaries are being included at this time. If citizens would like their block to be considered when resources become available, they are welcome to submit a written request to the Streets Commissioner.

My area received mechanical leaf collection in previous years. Why isn't my area included on this year's schedule? or Why is my area being serviced less frequently than previous years?
Sanitation crews re-evaluate the boundaries for mechanical leaf collection service each year, based on previous tonnage collected and available resources. Some adjustments were made this year. Specifically, crews will begin working on leaf collection operations later this year to allow for the potential of more leaves to be available for collection, and some areas will be serviced fewer times than in previous years. These changes are made in order to provide the most efficient service while maximizing the resources available.

In previous years, residents could obtain free mulch from FairmountPark during leaf collection season. Is this still available?
Interested residents should contact FairmountPark directly at 215-685-0115 to inquire about any of their current programs.

How will citizens be notified about the details of the 2008 Leaf Collection Recycling Program?
Citizens will be notified about the program through various means of communication:

• Major media press releases
• Weekly press releases to community newspapers
• City's Cable Station, Comcast (Channel 64)
• Streets Department web site information for leaf collection.
• Voice mail-messaging system to be used to notify residents in the mechanical collection boundaries of upcoming collection service.

In previous years, residents were able to recycle their leaves through composting. Will there be any workshops this fall?
There are no composting workshops scheduled this fall. Please check back later on for a listing of composting workshops scheduled for the spring.