Leaf collection starts on Monday in D.C. and Mayor Muriel Bowser is reminding locals that it also includes those pumpkins that were displayed on Halloween.
The Department of Public Works will be using a vacuum process for collecting leaves. D.C. residents should rake their leaves for collection to the curb or into the tree box at the front of their residence.
Leaves that are placed in plastic bags will be collected as trash and not recycled.
To help facilitate the vacuum process, residents are asked to keep vehicles away from the curb lanes on scheduled collection days.
“We’re reminding all residents to check their leaf collection schedules and make sure they’re prepared for leaf season,” said Mayor Bowser. “And fall is always a good time to remind residents about our Food Waste Drop-Off program, a free service that makes composting in the city easy.”
Residents should call 311 or visit 311.dc.gov to open a “Leaf Season Collection” service request. The DPW is encouraging residents to wait until the last day of the designated collection in your neighborhood.
Residents are reminded to remove all cans, bottles, sticks, toys and debris from the leaves as these can damage equipment and prevent collection.
The collections will happen twice in each neighborhood in the District between Monday and Jan. 15. The DPW collection schedules remain the same.
And if there are pumpkins left over from Halloween, D.C. residents are encouraged to recycle them by dropping them off at one of the nine DPW food waste drop-off sites located at Farmers’ Markets across the city.
