THROUGHOUT Vancouver, trees are shedding their leaves in preparation for winter, which means it’s fall-en to us to remind residents about the City’s leaf collection services and the steps we can all take to keep our streets and sidewalks safe, says the City of Vancouver.
Leaves collected by residents from catch basins, sidewalks or yards should be put in the Green Bin. Extra leaves should be kept dry and placed in paper bags or store-bought bins (maximum 100L) until one of the extra leaf collection weekends. Crews will not collect extra leaves set out in plastic bags.
Be sure to leaf a good impression for neighbours: do not rake or blow leaves onto catch basins, streets, sidewalks or bike lanes — accumulated leaves are a safety hazard to pedestrians and cyclists.
Extra leaf collection weekends
Extra leaves that do not fit in a Green Bin will be collected during four extra leaf collection weekends:
- October 27 to 28
- November 17 to 18
- December 15 to 16
- January 12 to 13, 2019 (Christmas trees will also be collected)
Leaves will be picked up on either the Saturday or Sunday, but not both days. Green Bins will not be emptied on the extra leaf collection weekends.
To ensure pickup, residents should set their leaves out for collection before 7 a.m. on the scheduled Saturday. Avoid missed collections by downloading the VanCollect app.
Street cleaning
Starting in mid-November, the City coordinates a city-wide street cleaning program to remove fallen leaves from City streets. Residents are asked to pay attention to temporary “no parking” signs and move their vehicle to support efficient street cleaning and avoid a ticket.
Did you know? Collected leaves become 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. Leaves and other yard trimmings can also be dropped off for composting at the Vancouver South Transfer Station located at 377 West Kent Avenue North and at the Vancouver Landfill located at 5400 72nd Street in Delta.
Find more helpful guidelines on the City’s fall leaf collection program at vancouver.ca/leaves.