Arlington County Leaf Season Update

Department of Environmental Services, Solid Waste Bureau

Ready. Rake. Recycle.

2016 – 2017 Leaf Collection Season

Leaf collection season begins on October 31. The County collects and recycles your leaves through vacuum trucks, biodegradable bags and in your green organics cart. Please be sure to drive safety around County vehicles. Stay aware as there may be crews servicing the immediate vicinity around parked County vehicles, as well. 

Vacuum Collection Schedule

Check our online vacuum schedule to determine when the leaf vacuum will be in your neighborhood.

Vacuum Collection 

• Crews will complete two passes through each neighborhood between November and December, Monday-Saturday, except Thanksgiving Day.
• Bright yellow and orange leaf collection signs will be posted in your neighborhood two to three days before crews arrive.
• Plan accordingly to have leaves raked to the curb before scheduled pick-up. If the vacuum collection schedule doesn’t meet your needs, or if you missed the first vacuum pass, residents have the option to bag their leaves for the weekly bag collection, wait for the second vacuum pass or place the leaves in their green organic yard waste cart.
• If you miss your collection date, leaves should be recycled in biodegradable leaf bags. Dates are subject to change due to weather and other events.
• Call 703-228-6565 for recorded schedule by civic association.

Leaf Bag Collection

Place leaves in biodegradable bags only. Don’t use plastic bags. Leaf bags are now collected year-round on the same day as your regular trash collection day.

Where to Find Leaf Bags

Biodegradable paper leaf bags are available at most hardware stores. Please use any bags left over from spring yard waste collection. Free bags are also available beginning October 24 at these locations while supplies last.

Year-Round Yard Waste Collection

Arlington County provides weekly, curbside collection of yard waste to single-family homes, duplexes and some townhomes in Arlington. Yard waste collection will occur each week on your regular scheduled trash collection day. More details can be found in our brochure.

Interactive Leaf Collection Progress Map 

Be sure to follow the leaf vacuum’s progress on our interactive map.

Share Your Colors

Days are getting shorter and the leaves are showing their colors. Share your photo of Arlington’s changing tree canopy or leaf pile with us for a chance to be featured as our Facebook cover photo. Photos can be posted on Facebook or sent to @ArlingtonDES on Twitter.

For more information, visit www.arlingtonva.us and search “Leaf Collection.”

Arlington County Department of Environmental Services

Solid Waste Bureau

www.arlingtonva.us/des

703-228-6570