Get ready to start raking in the leaves: the county’s leaf collection starts next Monday (Nov. 12) for some neighborhoods and continues through mid-December.
The vacuum truck will operate Mondays through Saturdays, except for Thanksgiving, and will complete two sweeps on a set neighborhood schedule. The first pass runs from Nov. 12 to Dec. 4. Immediately afterward the second collection pass begins and run until Dec. 20.
Look for yellow signs posted three to seven days ahead of the first pass and then orange signs for the second one. Leaves should be at the curb at the start of the collection window and stay there until they are collected.
Residents can prepare for leaf collection by raking leaves to the curb — and away from storm drains and water meter covers — the weekend before the scheduled collection. The brochure reminds residents to remove stones, branches, litter and other debris from the pile and to reduce fire hazards by not parking cars on leaf piles.
Residents can also recycle leaves by placing them in green organics carts or paper yard bags at the curb by 6 a.m. for pickup on regular trash collection days. The weight cut off is 50 pounds for bags and 200 pounds for carts. The recycled leaves become nutrient-rich mulch that residents can pick up for free either at the Solid Waste Bureau near SHirlington or near Marymount University at 4712 26th Street N.
The county will not collect leaves in plastic bags.
“Yard trimmings collected in Arlington County are composted and used to make top soil for use in county projects. Plastic bags and other inorganic materials contaminate the end product,” a blurb on a county brochure reads.
The county’s free bag distribution started last week (Oct. 29) and runs until Jan. 18 while supplies last at the following locations:
- Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street S., 703-228-5715
- Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Blvd, 703-228-3000
- Lee Community Center, 5722 Lee Hwy, 703-228-0552
- Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, 703-228-6535
- Madison Community Center, 3829 N. Stafford Street, 703-228-5310
- Solid Waste Bureau, 4300 29th Street S., 703-228-6570
- Thomas Jefferson Community Center, 3501 2nd Street S., 703-228-5920
Flickr pool photo via wolfkann