If you don’t participate in the “brown bin” Curbside Composting program, you normally place your leaves in a black trash bag or unlined trash can curbside to be collected on your trash day. During the special leaf collection, if you live in a select Community Board, you can have your leaves collected and turned into compost instead of sent to a landfill.

You can look up the board for your address on the Community Boards page.

To participate, set out your leaves curbside in paper lawn and leaf bags or an open, unlined container. Do not use plastic bags.

Bronx

You may put your leaves curbside after 4 PM on Saturday, December 11 for collection beginning Sunday, December 12 if you live in Community Boards 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Brooklyn

You may put your leaves curbside after 4 PM on Saturday, December 18 for collection beginning Sunday, December 19 if you live in Community Boards 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.

Queens

You may put your leaves curbside after 4 PM on Saturday, December 11 for collection beginning Sunday, December 12 if you live in Community Boards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.

Staten Island

You may put your leaves curbside after 4 PM on Saturday, December 18 for collection beginning Sunday, December 19 if you live in Community Boards 1, 2, and 3.

Buildings with Curbside Composting

If you participate in the “brown bin” Curbside Composting program, you already receive leaf collection service. You may continue to set out your leaves in your brown bin, in paper leaf bags, or in an unlined rigid container at the curb for pick-up according to your compost collection schedule. Do not use plastic bags.

If you participate in the Curbside Composting program, you may place your leaves and other yard waste in your brown compost bin.

If your yard waste can’t fit in the bin with the lid closed, or to save room in the bin for food waste, you can:

• Put it in a rigid unlined container labeled "Yard Waste"
• Put it in a paper lawn and leaf bag (do not use plastic bags)
• Tie it into bundles 2 feet by 4 feet or smaller

If you don’t participate in the Curbside Composting program, you may place your leaves, grass clippings, and small twigs less than 1/2 inch in diameter in a black trash bag or unlined trash can and place curbside for collection on your trash day.

Instead of throwing out leaves with your trash, you can also:

• Compost them in your yard
• Take them to a leaf drop-off site
• Check with your local food scrap drop-off site to see if leaves are accepted
• Leave them in your yard

You can use paper lawn and leaf bags to dispose of your leaves and yard waste. They are generally available from hardware and home improvement stores, as well as many larger supermarkets.

While supplies last, you can get free paper lawn and leaf bags at events in your neighborhood.

Learn where to get free bags in:

• Bronx
• Brooklyn
• Queens
• Staten Island