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Residents will be hearing the sound of leaf-collection trucks starting next week throughout Alexandria and Fairfax County.
Leaf collection in the City of Alexandria will start Oct. 30. Leaves should be raked to the curb, ensuring there are no large sticks or other debris with the leaves.
As in past years, leaves will be collected by zone. A zone map and schedule is available at www.alexandriava.gov/LeafCollection. Alternatively, residents can pick up leaf bags from the City of Alexandria and leave bags of leaves out on trash day for collection.
Fairfax County announced that a proposal to cancel vacuum leaf service after this season has been postponed. "After conducting an online survey in August 2023 for the public to solicit input on the staff proposal, results revealed that most residents who receive the service wish to keep it," county officials announced.
The survey results and FAQs are available here: https://engage.fairfaxcounty.gov/leaf-collection.
County officials have argued that the service "has negative environmental impacts, detracts from the County’s core residential trash collection service, and creates public safety challenges."
Those in Fairfax County who do not receive county services can bag leaves and leave them out for yard waste collection. Other leaf-disposal alternatives are provided here.
Want to be lazy? It's ok! When leaves fall from the tree, they can decompose on the ground, providing nutrients to the soil beneath and providing homes for beneficial bugs and organisms. Leaves can be put in garden beds or put around the base of trees. Excess leaves can be mowed into smaller pieces to decompose faster.
