Page last updated on October 29, 2024 at 12:55 pm
2024 City Leaf Collection and Management Options
NO CURBSIDE VACUUM LEAF COLLECTION!
2023 was the first year the City of Bloomington no longer offered curbside vacuum leaf collection. This decision was made after two years of study and interaction with thousands of residents indicating that the combination of mulching and composting as much as possible in one's yard, and bagging the rest for collection by the City's yard waste program, is preferable. Vacuum leaf collection is inefficient, environmentally wasteful, expensive and difficult to staff.
The City will instead support the management of your leaves via the following options that are listed below.
MULCHING AND COMPOSTING IN YOUR OWN YARD IS THE BEST OPTION
Recycling your leaves by mow mulching and/or composting in your own yard is the greenest way to manage your leaves and create useful fertilizer for your yard. It's natural and less work than raking. Not sure how to mulch or compost? No problem, we can help!
- Access Our Online content: Click the link to access short videos on mulching and composting, general information, and links to helpful articles from experts.
USE YARD WASTE CARTS OR PAPER BAGS FOR LEAF COLLECTION (FREE in NOVEMBER and DECEMBER)
If you still want leaves taken off of your property, you can fill brown paper yard waste bags (available at grocery and hardware stores, plus other retailers), your own container (less than 35 gallons and 40lbs) or a City of Bloomington yard waste cart and set them out at the curb on your regular collection day. We will collect every week for the months of November and December. Beginning January 1st, we will begin to collect Christmas trees at no cost.
There will be no collection charge for bagged leaves or leaves placed in yard waste carts during the month of November and December (typically $1 per collection of leaf bag or yard waste cart).
Brown paper leaf bags will again be made available to the public at no cost, beginning in October. You may go to any City of Bloomington Fire Station or the Sanitation Garage (3406 S Walnut St) to obtain your 5 free leaf bags.
If you are interested in purchasing a yard waste cart, please contact the Sanitation Division at (812) 349-3443. You can find your regular bi-weekly yard waste collection days by searching for your address in our myBloomington tool.
- Please do not compact your leaves so tightly into the carts that they become heavy and difficult to wheel to the curb.
- Remember: if it is too heavy for you to roll, it will be too heavy for us to roll!
- Residents will be charged a fee if their yard waste carts or paper bags are filled with anything other than dried leaves.
- The yard waste crew will not collect leaves in plastic bags.
For any other questions about leaf collection, please contact the Sanitation office at 812-349-3443 between the hours of 6:00am and 4:00pm Monday through Thursday (Sanitation is closed on Fridays).