The fall leaf collection program runs from November 5 through January 19. The District Department of Public Works (DPW) will collect leaves from homes and apartments where the DPW also collects trash.
To participate, rake your loose leaves into your tree box (or at the curb if there is no tree box) the Sunday before your scheduled collection week. Bags of leaves placed where trash is collected cannot be composted and will only be picked up as space in trucks permits.
Two Collection Weeks
Every street will have at least two scheduled collection weeks. Crews will come once during each scheduled week. You can Register online to receive alerts about when DPW’s leaf collection crews will be coming through your neighborhood. Simply provide your address and contact info, and the agency will send you reminders about when to rake your leaves out via text message or email.
Residents may track the progress of DPW’s leaf collection crews throughout the season and view before and after photos of the work done by crews.
Each year DPW collects and composts between five and seven thousand tons of loose leaves.
As winter approaches, the DC Snow Team will likely be called upon to clear our city’s streets. When this happens, leaf collection trucks stop collecting leaves and are outfitted with snow plows and salt spreaders. Afterward, trucks are cleaned and outfitted to resume leaf operations.
Holiday Trees
Holiday trees and greenery will be collected between January 14 and February 2. Residents in households where DPW collects trash should place their trees and greenery where their trash and recyclables are normally collected. They can also be brought to the Fort Totten and Benning Road transfer stations.
Please remove all ornaments and lights; do not put trees and greenery in a bag. After February 2, place holiday trees and greenery where your trash is collected. They will be picked up with your trash as space in trucks permits.
Trees and greenery collected during these three weeks will be composted and made available to residents for free.
Unfortunately, trees and greenery collected after February 2 will not be composted.
How You Can Help
- Rake leaves into your treebox space the Sunday before your scheduled collection week.
- Please – leaves only! Tree limbs, bricks, dirt, rocks, etc., will damage the equipment and delay collections.
- Prevent fires, parking problems and flooding by placing leaves in the treebox space, not in the street. When it rains, leaves will clog storm drains causing flooding and polluting waterways.
- Holiday trees and greenery will be picked up from January 14 to February 2. Please do not put trees in plastic or cloth bags. Trees collected through February 2 (and those brought to the Fort Totten and Benning Road transfer stations) will be chipped and composted.
- Any trees not collected by February 2 will be picked up as space in trash trucks allow over the following weeks.
