Bloomington, Indiana – For Bloomington residents, the arrival of fall comes with a familiar curbside task: finding a place for all those leaves. Beginning Monday, October 19, the city will restart its annual collection program, giving households a scheduled way to clear yards as trees move deeper into the season.
The collection period will run for more than two months, continuing through December 30. Rather than creating a separate pickup day, Bloomington will collect leaves according to residents’ regular A and B week yard waste schedules.
Under the city’s fall leaf collection program, leaves must be placed at the curb in approved containers. Residents can use brown paper yard waste bags, trash cans equipped with handles or City-issued green-lid yard waste carts.
For households that regularly generate larger amounts of yard waste, the green-lid carts are available for purchase from the Bloomington Sanitation Department for $70.
City officials are also asking residents to follow several basic rules that can make pickups safer and easier for sanitation crews. Brown paper leaf bags should be left untaped because plastic tape is not biodegradable. Dirt should not be mixed into bags or containers, and each container must remain below the city’s 40-pound weight limit.
Placement at the curb also matters. Yard waste should be kept separate from regular trash and recycling carts so collection crews can reach each item without obstruction. Following those guidelines can help prevent problems when crews move through neighborhoods on scheduled collection days.
The fall program gives residents from mid-October through the end of December to manage seasonal leaf buildup using the city’s existing yard waste system. Residents should continue following their normal A or B week schedule during that period rather than placing leaves out on an unscheduled day.
Anyone with questions about leaf pickup, recycling or other sanitation services can contact the City of Bloomington Sanitation Department at 812-349-3443.
