Raking News! Residential leaf collection starts this weekend
Fall is in full swing, along with extra leaf collection weekends and a reminder of what you can do to prevent flooding and keep our sidewalks and streets safe.
Extra leaf collection weekends
Leaves collected by residents from their property, sidewalk, and boulevard can be put in the green bin. Extra leaves that don’t fit into the green bin can be placed in paper yard waste bags or in store-bought bins (maximum 100 litres) and set out for collection on the designated weekends shown below. Residents can confirm their leaf pickup schedule by going online and entering their address.
| Collection Zone | Collection Dates (set out leaves on the Saturday) |
|---|---|
| North collection zones Red North, Blue North, Green North, Purple North & Yellow North |
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| South collection zones Red South, Blue South, Green South, Purple South & Yellow South |
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Extra leaves can also be set out on January 11, 2025 and will be picked up during Christmas tree collection (January 11 to 31, 2025).
Set out tips for residents:
- Set out leaves before 7 am on the scheduled Saturday to ensure pickup.
- Keep filled paper leaf bags as dry as possible before setting them out to help prevent them from tearing during collection.
- If leaves are not collected on the scheduled weekend, please keep them set out. Crews will return to missed areas.
- Do not set out leaves in plastic bags, including plastic bags labelled compostable or biodegradable.
- Do not set out your green bin on extra leaf collection weekends.
More options for extra leaves
- Drop off leaves and other yard trimmings for a fee at the Vancouver South Transfer Station or Vancouver Landfill in Delta.
- Collect and store leaves throughout the year and add them to your backyard composter (if you have one) or use them in your green bin to layer with food scraps to help reduce odours and pests.
- Use them as mulch in the garden to retain moisture, suppress weeds and insulate the soil from severe temperatures.
Leaf removal from City streets starts in November
Starting in November, the City coordinates a city-wide leaf clearing program to remove fallen leaves from streets. To help ensure our crews can do the best cleaning job possible, vehicle owners should move their vehicles if temporary no stopping signs are posted on their street.
Help prevent flooding
Residents and businesses should never rake or blow leaves onto catch basins, streets, sidewalks or bike lanes. Raking or blowing leaves onto the street or sidewalk can create a safety hazard for pedestrians and cyclists, can cause flooding, and is a fineable offence under the Street and Traffic By-Law. Help us prevent flooding and adopt and name your own catch basin and keep it clear throughout the year. There are more than 35,000 catch basins that need adopting in the city.
Collected leaves are turned into compost
Collected leaves are turned into nutrient-rich compost at the Vancouver Landfill. This compost can be purchased by residential gardeners, commercial landscapers, and municipal park boards.
Find out more about the City’s seasonal leaf collection program.
To get reminders for leaf collection weekends, garbage and green bin pickup days and community zero waste events, download the Vancollect app.