Leaf collection to resume in the city
After a five-year hiatus, the city’s leaf collectors will be back in action. Starting next Monday, the Philadelphia Streets Department will resume weekly leaf curbside pick-up, a program that was stopped after the 2008 fall season due to budget cuts.
After a five-year hiatus, the city's leaf collectors will be back in action.
Starting next Monday, the Philadelphia Streets Department will resume weekly leaf curbside pick-up, a program that was stopped after the 2008 fall season due to budget cuts.
However, the reincarnation of the program will be slightly different. Bagged leafs will no longer be picked up, only piles of leaves.
The mechanical leaf collection, which includes leaf blowers, mechanical sweepers, and leaf loaders, will scoop up the dead foliage along specific streets in leaf-dense areas of the city. That list may be found on http://www.philadelphiastreets.com/leaves
The city will be using the collected leaves for composting and using the material as fertilizer for gardens and trees.
"Residents are urged to sweep and bag any remaining leaves and take them to any of the drop-off locations, or set out for collection on trash day," a streets department news release states.
Bagged leafs can be dropped off on Saturdays at 22 designated leaf drop-off locations throughout the city. Bagged leaves must be in biodegradable paper bags and not mixed with any trash or other recyclable materials, city officials said.
Leaves set out curbside, either in bags or containers, will be collected as trash, not recycling, Keisha McCarty, spokeswoman for the streets department, said.
The leaf collection service and drop off locations will remain open through Dec. 19, except on Nov. 15 and 29.
The drop-off locations are the following:
66th & Haverford Ave.
54th & Woodbine Ave.
43rd & Powelton Ave.
72nd & Buist Ave.
Broad & Christian St.
20th & Hartranft St.
15th & Bigler St.
Corinthian & Poplar St.
American & Thompson St.
Graver Lane & Seminole
Cathedral & Ridge Ave.
Washington Ln. & Ardleigh
Upsal & Lowber St.
Fisher & Ogontz Ave.
5th & Chelten Ave. (water reservoir)
Castor & Foulkrod St.
1400 Cottman - Pennway & Cottman Ave. (Jardel Rec.)
2901 Princeton Ave. (Mayfair Rec.)
7901 Ridgeway St. (Fox Chase Rec.)
8101 Bustleton Ave.
2900 Comly Rd. – Palmer Playground
7231 Torresdale Ave. – Russo Park
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