TOLEDO, Ohio — With fall in full swing, it's time to get ready for leaf collection in the city of Toledo.
The city's leaf collection starts Nov. 4 with a six-week goal for the program.
A variety of methods will be used to inform residents when leaf collection will occur in a specific neighborhood. Leaf pick-up will take place in four zones and is divided by zip code:
- Week of Nov. 4: 43623, 43613 and 43606
- Week of Nov. 11: 43615, 43614 and 43607
- Week of Nov. 18: 43605 and 43612
- Week of Nov. 25: 43604, 43609, 43611
- Week of Dec. 2: 43610, 43620, 43608
You can sign up for the city's text alert program, Toledo Alerts, which will notify you when leaf collection crews will be in your neighborhood and of any change in plans. To sign up, click here.
The city of Toledo will update its interactive online Leaf Collection Schedule map at this link when first pass is upcoming, in progress and complete. The schedule for second pass has not yet been released.
You should also watch for signs to be posted on your street. If you have any questions, call Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020.
How to prepare
Residents should prepare for pickup by piling leaves along the curb of residential streets no sooner than two days before the area's scheduled leaf pickup date. Storm inlets should be kept clear of leaves to prevent flooding and clogging sewers.
Leaves can also be placed in brown paper biodegradable paper bags at the curb.
Leaves should not be mixed with branches, twigs or garbage. Residents should not dump leaves in ditches or creeks.
All vehicles should be off the street when leaf collection crews come to your neighborhood in order to get the street as clean as possible.
What if you miss leaf collection?
If you missed leaf collection, you are asked not to place leaves in the street.
Leaves can be disposed of in gray trash containers or taken to one of five free drop-off sites:
- Bowman Park, 4671 Jackman Road, Toledo, OH 43612 (Parking lot off Jackman Road)
- Woodsdale Park, 1226 Woodsdale Ave., Toledo, OH 43614 (Parking lot off Woodsdale Avenue)
- City Woodlot, 221 Elmdale Road, Toledo, OH 43607 (Off Hill Ave., Monday–Saturday, 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.)
- Ravine I Park, 1600 Mott Ave., Toledo, OH 43605 (Parking lot at dead end)
- Detwiler Park, 3775 Manhattan Blvd., Toledo, OH 43611 (Parking lot at baseball fields)
Alternatively, you can compost, mulch or just leave the leaves to add nutrients to your lawn.
RELATED: Leave the Leaves: why National Wildlife Federation wants people to keep a few leaves around
How leaves are collected
The method used to collect leaves is based on the type of street, according to the city. For curbed streets, front-end loaders push leaf piles to the end of the street. Leaves are then loaded onto trucks and hauled away. Finally, street sweepers finish sweeping the remainder, leaving behind a clean street.
On uncurbed and main streets, leaf piles are sucked up using a leaf vacuum.
Weather may impact leaf collection as well. The trucks used for leaf pickup are the same ones used for salting streets and plowing during winter weather. If there is snow or ice before leaf collection is completed, the trucks are converted to handle winter weather and then converted back to trucks used for leaf collection, according to city officials.
Because leaves need to be collected before the first snowfall, collection may begin before leaves have completely fallen.
