The Raleigh City Council today agreed to expand the City’s yard waste collection program to weekly service starting in Fall 2026. This means no more raking leaves to the curb. They will go in yard waste bins and/or biodegradable bags.
With this change, the City will begin collecting leaves with yard waste each week. Residents will have the option to place at least 15 bags at the curb along with their yard waste bin throughout the year. The City will complete two final loose-leaf sweeps, one this fall and a second at the beginning of 2026.
The new endeavor will offer residents 26 more yard waste pickups each year and address long-standing issues with the City’s loose leaf collection program. The City and Council members report hearing many concerns about the scope, resources, and efficacy of the program.
“We hope this expanded service will eliminate a lot of the issues we’ve seen with loose leaf collection,” said Assistant City Manager Michael Moore. “Raleigh has grown so much over the last 10 to 15 years, not only in its population, but in its physical size. Getting to every corner of the city in a timely fashion is a challenge. We think this will address that issue.”
The change also moves the service from Transportation to Solid Waste Services. While the department won’t matter to City residents, it will allow the Transportation Department to dedicate more time to sidewalks, street maintenance, and better landscaping along roads throughout the City.
The City has not made any changes to the leaf collection effort since 2011. Over that time, the City’s growth meant that the time between the two annual sweeps increased. Collection efforts for the first pass often occurred before all the leaves have fallen. The second sweep of the City often occurred late enough that the leaves caused problems with blocked storm drains and bicycle lanes, blocked streets and parking places, and increasing customer dissatisfaction.
Residents who are especially vigilant tackling their yard duties can also order a second cart at a current fee of $55 for the cart and $2/month for the service.