Need To Know: Getting Rid of Your Fall Leaves

The temperatures may have been unseasonably warm recently, but it's definitely fall and the leaves are everywhere — littering lawns, gutters, driveways while some still decorate the trees.

The city of Birmingham began leaf and yard waste pick-up earlier this month, but since most residents are raking now, we wanted to remind you when and how you can get rid of your leaf piles. Remember: yard waste will be collected by the city until Dec. 21.

Curbed streets

For residents living on curbed streets, the city is divided into two zones, depending whether you live north or south of Maple Road (see accompanying map). Four pick-ups are scheduled for each zone. The remaining pick-ups are:

• Zone 1: Oct. 22-26; Nov. 5-9; Nov. 19-23
• Zone 2: Oct. 29-Nov. 2; Nov. 12-16

Residents are instructed to simply rake leaves into the street prior to your street's designated week. If you have leaves remaining after your final street collection week, they must be bagged in accordance with the instructions for uncurbed streets.

Do not rake leaves into the street after your final scheduled collection date. To do so risks being cited for an ordinance violation and billed for collection. It also risks having the leaves blown back onto the driveway in the event of snow.

Uncurbed streets

For those residents living on streets without curbs, leaves may be placed into:

• Brown paper yard waste bags, found at most hardware stores
• Rigid 35 gallon containers with Birmingham's yard waste decal, obtained at the Department of Public Services

Place the containers curbside with your regular weekly trash. If your trash is picked up on a Wednesday or Thursday, you will have an additional leaf pick-up on Saturdays from Nov. 3-24. If your trash day is Friday, you will have an additional leaf pick-up on Tuesdays from Nov. 6-27.

Clear plastic bags are not acceptable, and leaves set out in plastic bags will not be collected. It is also a violation of city ordinance to remove leaves from homes on uncurbed streets and deposit them on curbed street, or to remove leaves from one side of a curbed street and place them across the street.