10/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/28/2024 13:49
(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) kicked off Back to Basics Week by launching the 2024-2025 Leaf Collection season, starting today and running through February 8. Officials also reminded residents to turn their discarded pumpkins and gourds into compost by taking them to any of the District's food waste drop-off locations.
"DPW's leaf collection program is one of many ways we work together as a community to keep our streets and neighbors safe throughout the fall and winter," said Mayor Bowser. "Leaf collection is a collaborative process that requires residents to prepare the way for our workers, and I appreciate the collective effort we put in to keeping our city safe, clean, and accessible."
This year's program will follow last year's model, providing weekly updates on crew locations online instead of mailing out a seasonal raking schedule.
Residents can find weekly leaf collection updates every Friday through DPW's online leaf tracker at dpw.dc.gov/leaf 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, leaf collection teams will distribute door hangers in advance to alert residents that they are entering their two-week collection window. Residents should rake leaves to the curb or tree box in front of their home the weekend before their scheduled collection week. On collection days, residents should avoid parking along curb lanes to ensure efficient leaf vacuuming. Leaf collections will occur twice in each neighborhood for residents who receive DPW trash and recycling services.
Leaf Season Collection Tips for Preparing Leaves for the Leaf Vacuum
The District's leaf collection program is a large part of the city's sustainability efforts. Leaves collected during the season are composted at a nearby facility. The city also offers a Food Waste Drop-Off program, with 13 DPW-managed locations across all eight wards where residents can drop off food scraps for composting.
"Last year was a game-changer for the leaf collection program," said DPW Director Timothy Spriggs. "With more resources and fewer weather interruptions, we experienced fewer delays and could notify residents more accurately. This fall season, as we keep nearly 3 million pounds of food waste out of the trash through our collection initiatives, we're also reminding everyone to make the most of food waste drop-off sites to help reach our zero-waste goal of diverting 80 percent of waste from landfills by 2040."
District residents are encouraged to reduce the food waste going into their household trash this holiday season by taking their pumpkins, gourds, and other food scraps to one of the following Food Waste Drop-Off sites, where they will be composted at a nearby facility. Please note that pumpkins decorated with paint, glitter, or other inorganic matter cannot be composted.
Pumpkin and Food Waste Drop-Off Sites
Ward 1
Ward 2
Ward 3
Ward 4
Ward 5
Ward 6
Ward 7
Ward 8
For more information about DPW's Food Waste Drop-Off program, visit zerowaste.dc.gov/foodwastedropoff.
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