Community · Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo leaf pickup 2026 runs Nov. 2 to Dec. 12: no street dates, pumpkins accepted, and how to report leftovers
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The City of Kalamazoo’s curbside leaf pickup starts Monday, Nov. 2, and runs through Saturday, Dec. 12, weather permitting, the city says. Residents don’t need to sign up or wait for crews to start: leaves can go to the curb lawn now.
The city is not giving dates for individual streets. Crews start on the east side in Zone A, move west through Zones B and C, and then repeat that loop as many times as the weather allows. The same crews plow snow and treat ice, and the city says winter weather takes priority once it arrives.
To follow along, the city is posting weekly updates on its leaf pickup page and an online progress map. Residents can subscribe to the page or use the Recycle Coach app for notices.
How to set out leaves. Rake leaves onto the curb lawn, the strip between the sidewalk and the street, in loose piles, biodegradable paper bags or cardboard boxes. Homes without a curb lawn can put leaves near the street as long as they don’t block the road or sidewalk. Keep piles out of streets, sidewalks and bike lanes, and away from storm drains, mailboxes, utility poles and landscaping.
What crews take. There is no volume limit on leaves. Crews will also take sticks shorter than four feet and less than two inches across, plus pumpkins and similar organic material, which means jack-o’-lanterns can go on the pile after Halloween. Anything else should stay out.
Before Nov. 2. October is the last month of the city’s regular yard waste collection, and leaves in paper bags or boxes are accepted on those scheduled pickup days.
Drop-off. From Nov. 2 to Dec. 12, city residents can take leaves to 322 E. Stockbridge Ave. from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Proof of city residency is required.
Leaves left after Dec. 12. Anything still at the curb after the season ends counts as “winter leaves.” The city asks residents to report them once, between Dec. 14 and Dec. 31, by calling 311 or (269) 337-8000 or through kalamazoocity.org/311. The city says not to report missed pickups during the regular season, since crews are still working through the zones. Winter leaves can stay properly placed at the curb, but pickup may not happen until April, and piles should stay out of the street so plows can get through.
Sources:
City of Kalamazoo, Fall Leaf Pickup (season dates, zones, set-out rules, accepted items, drop-off site and hours, winter leaf reporting), https://www.kalamazoocity.org/Residents/Recycling-Waste/Fall-Leaf-Pickup
City of Kalamazoo, Leaf Pick-Up progress map, https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/7ab8d654485648dead39d887bcc5fd8f
City of Kalamazoo 311, https://www.kalamazoocity.org/311
Photo: Dan4th Nicholas, “Leaf collection in a garden.jpg,” Oct. 20, 2007, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leaf_collection_in_a_garden.jpg
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