Mayor Bowser Kicks Off Leaf Collection Program, Encourages Residents to Compost Holiday Pumpkins and Gourds

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) kicked off the 2023-2024 Leaf Collection season. Leaf collection will begin on October 30 and continue through January 20. Officials also reminded residents that they can compost pumpkins and gourds at the District’s food waste drop-off locations and highlighted the upcoming snow dry run.
“Autumn leaves can be a pretty sight, but when they fall off the trees and into our streets, they can actually create a hazard for our city. That’s why, every year, we are thinking about how to make leaf collection better and more efficient for our residents,” said Mayor Bowser. “I’m grateful for our team at DPW and I know our community is grateful for all they do to keep our city safe and clean.”  
 
DPW will begin collecting leaves from neighborhoods on Monday, October 30. This year, adjustments have been made to the leaf collection program to make it more efficient. Mayor Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget includes funding for new equipment, including 40 new electric leaf blowers, six more leaf vac trucks, 18 additional dump trucks to haul the vacs, and three new buckets that can be attached to the agency’s trucks and that will allow crews to collect leaves at a faster rate than in years past.
 
This year, the leaf collection program has been updated to be more responsive to when leaves fall across DC. Instead sending a set schedule that goes out once in October, DPW will assess the city every two weeks and update the leaf collection schedule. Residents can check the latest schedule every Friday through an online leaf tracker at dpw.dc.gov or by calling the DPW Leaf Line at (202) 671-LEAF (5323). The tracker will be updated every Friday with more precise information on scheduled collection. In addition to the trackers, teams will be going out weeks in advance with door hangers that let neighbors know that they are within their two week collection window. Residents are asked to rake their leaves to the curb or into the tree box in front of the residence the weekend before the Monday of their announced collection week. To help facilitate the vacuum process, residents are also asked to keep vehicles away from the curb lanes on the scheduled collection days. Leaf collections will still occur twice in each neighborhood for residents who receive DPW trash and recycling services.
 
Leaf Season Collection Tips:

• Check the DPW website at dpw.dc.gov to confirm your area’s leaf collection dates. 
• Move vehicles from curb lanes to help ease the leaf vacuum collection process. 
• Rake leaves to the curbside or tree box at the front of the residence the weekend before the Monday of your announced collection week. 
• Remove all cans, bottles, sticks, toys, and debris from your piles of leaves. These items can damage equipment and prevent safe and proper collection. 
• Download the MyDPW app to receive customized alerts about leaf collection in your neighborhood. 
• Leaves placed in plastic bags will be collected as trash and not recycled. 
• District residents can also bring leaves contained in paper bags to the Ft. Totten Transfer Station located at 4900 John McCormack Drive, NE, Tuesday-Friday, 10am-2pm or Saturday 7am-2pm. 
• When snow, freezing rain, or ice are forecast, the District Snow Team mobilizes to pre-treat our streets, then spread salt as needed. This may require switching DPW equipment and crews from leaf collection duties to snow duties, which may unfortunately cause leaf collection delays. 
• Leaves will not be collected on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. Residents should look out for the weekly messaging on when to rake out leaves during holiday weeks. 
• Residents whose leaves have not been collected on their street eight business days after DPW has announced collection has started in the next section should call 311 (202-737-4404) or visit 311.dc.gov to open a “Leaf Collection Missed” service request. 

  
“Thanks to increased resources and the addition of the Leaf Line, I believe the 2023-2024 leaf season will be our most robust,” said DPW Director Timothy Spriggs. “With Mayor Bowser’s support, we have additional equipment that will provide greater collection speed and improving upon service accuracy.” 
 
DPW also reminds residents to help the city reduce its food waste this coming holiday season by taking their pumpkins, gourds, and food scraps to one of its 12 food waste drop-off sites, which are located at a farmer’s market facility in each ward. Pumpkins and decorative gourds like carved and painted jack-o-lanterns dropped off at these sites will be composted, along with other food scraps, at District community composting sites and the Prince George’s County Organics Compost facility. Over the years, through DPW’s food waste drop-off program,  more than five tons of pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns have been kept out of landfills or donated to such local organizations as DC Central Kitchen, Martha’s Table, and Miriam’s Kitchen. Residents should note that pumpkins decorated with paint, glitter or other inorganic matter cannot be composted. Learn more at zerowaste.dc.gov/foodwastedropoff.
 
Pumpkin/Food Drop Off Sites 

 
Snow Dry Run

The Mayor and DPW also noted that on Friday, October 27 at 414 Farragut Street NE, the District’s Snow Team will host a training exercise to ensure they are prepared for every aspect of the District’s snow and ice operations. The Snow Team is led by DPW, with support from the Department of Transportation, the Department of General Services, the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, and Serve DC. Throughout the day, plow operators will drive their routes, checking for obstacles they might encounter during an actual snow event.
 

Social Media:

Mayor Bowser Twitter: @MayorBowser
Mayor Bowser Instagram: @Mayor_Bowser
Mayor Bowser Facebook: facebook.com/MayorMurielBowser
Mayor Bowser YouTube: https://www.bit.ly/eomvideos