Philly’s Leaf and Recycling Program Begins Today

It’s fall and that means leaves are falling all over our city streets. The leaves may create the perfect scenery for beautiful fall photos, but they also pile up and clog our walkways and roads. That’s why we’re offering this friendly reminder that the Streets Department’s 2015 Philly Leaf and Recycling Program begins today and will run through Saturday, December 19. The program is one of several services provided by the Streets Department to honor the City’s on-going commitment to recycling by helping to reduce the amount of materials that reach the waste stream.

Bagged leaf drop-off will be offered city-wide on Saturdays (with the exception of the Saturdays following Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving holidays) at 23 designated locations from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for the duration of the program. Bagged leaves set out at the curb will be collected as trash.

Mechanical leaf collection will be provided as a supplement in areas known to have a heavy accumulation of leaves. The mechanical leaf collection operation will include leaf blowers, mechanical sweepers, and leaf loaders. Mechanical leaf collection crews will concentrate their efforts in designated boundaries each week, following a strategic schedule to maximize efficiency and productivity.

Follow these tips for bagged leaf collection:

Bagged leaves will only be accepted in biodegradable paper bags. These bags can be processed for recycling along with the leaves. This reduces contamination in the recycling process.
Do not mix trash or other recyclable materials with bagged leaves. This contaminates leaves and makes them unfit for recycling purposes.
Use as many bags as needed, maximum 40 lbs. each.
Bags may be purchased at most hardware stores. Bags are not provided by the Streets Department.
Bagged leaves may also be taken to any of the five Sanitation Convenience Centers:
3033 S. 63rd Street (63rd & Passyunk Ave.)
Domino Lane and Umbria Street
State Road and Ashburner Street
2601 W. Glenwood Avenue
51st and Grays Avenue
Leaves set out curbside, either in bags or containers, will be collected as rubbish, not recycling.

Follow these tips for mechanical leaf collection:

To find out when your block is scheduled for mechanical collection, check Comcast Cable Channel 64 (Philadelphia Government Access Channel), your neighborhood newspaper, or the Streets Department website at http://www.philadelphiastreets.com/leaves/
All leaves should be raked and ready for collection by 7:00 AM the day of mechanical collection. Rake leaves 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 drop-off bagged leaves.
Mechanical collection crews will visit routes only once. Residents are urged to sweep and bag any remaining leaves and take them to any of the set out for collection on trash day or take to any bagged drop-off locations or Sanitation Convenience Center.

There will no collection of leaves on a City holiday. During this six-week program, leaves will be collected for composting purposes, like, fertilizing gardens and nourishing trees. Click here for more information.