Madison Reporter

The Streets Division’s fall yard waste and leaves collection will commence the week of October 6, 2024. Residents will have three opportunities for collection this season, weather permitting.

Exact dates for setting out leaves and yard waste can be found on the Streets Division website at www.cityofmadison.com/yardwaste. The map lookup tool on the site also provides set-out dates.

When curbside collection starts in October, crews will pick up leaves, weeds, and other plant debris from lawns or gardens. Yard waste should not be mixed with brush as mixed piles will not be collected by yard waste crews.

The dates shown on the website indicate when residents should place their yard waste out for pickup. Collection will occur sometime during the work week following these set-out dates. Placing yard waste out after your designated date may result in missed collection.

Residents are instructed to place leaves and yard waste at the street edge or terrace but not in the street. Material should be kept at least four feet from obstructions such as street signs, utility poles, mailboxes, trees, stumps, and parked cars. If bagging leaves and yard waste, compostable paper leaf and lawn bags are recommended. Other bags can be used if left open so crews can see inside; however, plastic bags may need to be ripped open by crews who will leave split bags at the curb.

Alternative options include composting yard waste to benefit lawns and gardens next year or mulching leaves in place with a lawnmower to help manage them while improving lawns and lakes. Free guides on composting are available at City of Madison libraries and additional resources can be found on the Streets Division’s website.

Yard waste can also be taken to Streets Division drop-off sites. Locations and hours for these sites are available at www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.

For more information about yard waste collection visit www.cityofmadison.com/yardwaste or watch a short how-to video on the City of Madison YouTube page. Further details about all Streets Division services are available at www.cityofmadison.com/streets.