Fall leaf collection underway

As millions of leaves fall across Vancouver this autumn, the City’s fall leaf collection program is now underway, making it easier for residents to do their part to reduce localized flooding risks and protect local waterways. 

Together with City crews clearing fallen leaves from City streets from mid-November through January, these efforts will help keep neighbourhoods cleaner, safer and better prepared for the rainy months ahead.

Small actions, big impact

Residents and businesses can support this seasonal effort by:

• Raking leaves from sidewalks and boulevards adjacent to their property.  
• Taking advantage of the City's leaf collection and disposal options. 
• Removing parked vehicles from leaf collection routes when temporary “No-Parking signs" are in place.
• Adopting a catch basin and keeping it clear all year long through the City’s Adopt a Catch Basin program.  

As a reminder, leaves should never be raked or blown onto streets, sidewalks, bike lanes or into catch basins. Doing so can create slippery and hazardous conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, contribute to localized flooding, and may result in fines under the Street and Traffic By-law.

Residential leaf collection

• Preparing for collection: Residents can place leaves collected from their property, sidewalk, and boulevard into their green bin for regular collection. Extra leaves that don’t fit in the green bin can be placed in paper yard waste bags or store-bought bins (max.100 litres) and set out on designated collection weekends. To confirm your leaf pickup schedule, you can check your address on vancouver.ca.
• Leaf collection tips
  • Set out leaves before 7 am on the scheduled Saturday to ensure pickup. 
  • Keep paper bags as dry as possible before setting them out to help prevent tearing during collection.  Do not use plastic bags, including those labelled compostable or biodegradable.
  • If leaves are not collected on the scheduled weekend, please keep them set out and crews will return to missed areas. 
  • Do not set out your green bin on extra leaf collection weekends. 
• More options for leaf disposal
  • Drop off leaves and other yard trimmings for a fee at the Vancouver South Transfer Station or Vancouver Landfill in Delta.
  • Save leaves for your backyard composter or use them in your green bin throughout the year to layer with food scraps and help reduce odours and pests.
  • Use extra leaves as mulch in the garden to retain moisture, suppress weeds and insulate the soil from severe temperatures.