The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has started its annual leaf vacuuming program and will continue collections throughout December in specified areas. There will be two collections scheduled on each collection district street.
To access the collection schedule, residents can use the County’s new MC311 online chatbot, Monty 2.0 with GIS features or by entering their street address on the MCDOT leafing page. The map and collection information can also be found online on the MCDOT Leaf Collection webpage.
The leaf vacuum collection district is bounded by I-495; I-270; the Rockville City limits; Norbeck, Bel Pre and Bonifant roads; Northwest Branch Park; and the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County lines.
Before collection begins in a neighborhood, MCDOT will post signs along streets directing residents to the online leaf collection map for collection information. Residents are asked to pile leaves near the street but off of roads, sidewalks or bike lanes. Leaves in these areas can disrupt traffic, pose a safety hazard for cyclists and pedestrians, negatively impact stormwater drainage and become a fire hazard for automobiles parked over them.
“Fall is a beautiful time of year in Montgomery County, and as trees shed their leaves the County is here to help,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “The County offers this free service to residents to keep our infrastructure clear and offer a sustainable solution to leaf disposal. Leaves collected by our crews will be composted and mulched at a local facility. And, we offer information on the benefits of leaving leaves on site.”
Since 1983, the County has been composting the leaves it collects at a County-operated facility in Dickerson. The compost produces a fertilizer called Leafgro, which is sold in retail stores.
The leaf collection program is restricted to leaves. It is important that no plastics are mixed into the leaves as they are composted and recycled as fertilizer. Plastic contamination can result in unusable compost. Tree branches, coarse garden debris, sticks and branches should be placed in containers or tied in bundles no more than four feet long and set out for yard trim recycling pick up.
“Last leafing season, crews collected more than 92,600 cubic yards of leaves,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “The collected leaves are then mulched and composted to create Leafgro, which is sold at retail stores throughout the County, and helps fund our leaf collection program. I appreciate our residents’ help in collecting leaves so we can dispose of them responsibly.”
Residents who miss the two scheduled vacuum collections or who do not live within the leaf vacuuming area can have their leaves collected by placing them in paper yard trim bags or reusable containers for pick up on their regular recycling and yard trim collection day. Leaves placed in plastic bags will not be accepted. Residents also can bring properly bagged leaves to the Shady Grove Transfer Station. Another option is to mow fallen leaves into the yard to allow them to compost naturally. Additional resources on how to use fallen leaves are available on the My Green Montgomery webpage.
To determine if a property is within the boundaries of the leaf vacuum collection district or to view the collection schedule, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/leafing or contact Montgomery County 311 online or by calling 311 from inside the County, calling 240-777-0311 from outside the County or MD Relay at 711 or use the toll free/out of state number 1-800-735-2258.
Visit the Montgomery County Leaf Vacuum Program webpage for more information.