WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington residents have about two weeks to get their rakes ready. The city’s 2026-27 leaf collection season opens Monday, Nov. 2, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Public Works announced at a kickoff Monday at 1600 G Street SE.
Crews will start in Section A, so people there should have leaves raked out by Sunday, Nov. 1. Neighborhoods in all eight wards are split into four sections, A through D, and every residential street that gets city trash and recycling pickup is scheduled for at least two leaf collections over the season.
Public Works plans to give about 10 days’ notice before each section’s pickup window, and weekly updates will say when each household should pile its leaves at the curb or in the tree box out front.
The yearly sweep keeps leaves from clogging storm drains and turns them into compost instead of trash. The city is also pushing food scrap recycling: its composting programs have taken in over 11 million pounds of food scraps, and the number of community smart bins is growing from 31 sites to more than 50.
This fall, residents can drop off pumpkins and gourds at food waste collection sites, as long as they are free of paint and glitter.
Filed under: Washington DC Neighborhood News
