City program, branded recycling, actually composts city resident’s leaves at the Fairmount Organic Recylcing Center

City residents can compost their leaves through the City of Philadelphia in two ways this year.

The bagged leaf drop-off is at specific locations on four Saturdays at 13 locations from 9 am to 3 pm.

Dates for bagged leaf drop-offs:

• November 20 
• December 4 
• December 11 
• December 18

Drop-off Location                                                                             Area 
15^th & Bigler Sts.                                                                                South Philadelphia 
43^rd & Powelton Sts.                                                                         West Philadelphia 
4800 Wayne Ave. (Happy Hollow Rec Center)                              Germantown 
54^th & Woodbine Ave.                                                                      West Philadelphia 
7901 Ridgeway St. (Fox Chase Rec Center)                                    Northeast 
American & Thompson Sts.                                                              North Philadelphia 
Broad & Christian Sts.                                                                        South Philadelphia 
Castor & Foulkrod Sts.                                                                       Frankford         
Cathedral St. & Ridge Ave.                                                                Northwest 
Corinthian & Poplar Sts.                                                                    North Philadelphia 
Graver Lane & Seminole St.                                                              Northwest 
Pennway St & Cottman Ave. (Jardel Rec Center)                           Northeast 
Washington La & Ardleigh St.                                                           Northwest 

Bagged leaf collection:

• Bagged leaves will only be accepted in biodegradable paper bags. These bags can be processed for recycling along with the leaves. This reduces contamination in the recycling process.  
• Do not mix trash or other recyclable materials with bagged leaves. This contaminates leaves and makes them unfit for recycling purposes. 
• Use as many bags as needed, maximum 40 lbs. each.  
• Bags may be purchased at most hardware stores. Bags are not provided by the Streets Department. 
• Bagged leaves may also be taken to any of the Sanitation Convenience Centers, Monday through Saturday from 8a-6p.
• Leaves set out curbside, either in bags or containers, will be collected as trash, not recycling. 

Mechanical Leaf Collection

For areas with high volume of leaves, there will be a mechanical effort with leaf blowers, sweepers and leaf loaders. The schedule below is when selected parts of city will have the collection.

Leaf Recycling / 2021 Mechanical Cleaning Schedule : 

Week # 1: November 8 – 12 

 (Oak Lane and Frankford) 

Monday, November 8 

• 3^rd Street to 8^th Street, from Godfrey Avenue to 65^th Avenue 
• 8^th Street to Broad Street, from Godfrey Avenue to 65^th Avenue 

Tuesday, November 9 

• 3^rd Street to 8^th Street, from 65^th Avenue to Cheltenham Avenue 
• 8^th Street to Broad Street, from 65^th Avenue to Cheltenham Avenue 

Wednesday, November 10 

• Roosevelt Blvd to Horrocks Street, from Arrott Street to Oxford Avenue 

Thursday, November 11 

VETERANS DAY – NO COLLECTIONS

Friday, November 12

• Horrocks Street to Penn Street, from Parrott Street to Oxford Avenue 

Week # 2: November 15 – 19 

 (West Philadelphia) 

­Monday, November 15 

• 72^nd to 66^th Streets, from Malvern Avenue to City Avenue 
• 66^th to 63^rd Streets, from Malvern Avenue to City Avenue 

Tuesday, November 16

• 63^rd to 58^th Streets, from Upland Way to City Avenue 
• 58^th to 54^th Streets, from Upland Way to City Avenue 

Wednesday, November 17

• Belmont Avenue to Lenape Road, from City Avenue to Sorrento Street & Conshohocken Avenue 
• Ford Road to Conshohocken Avenue, from Monument Road to Falls Road 

Thursday, November 18 

• 54^th Street to 49^th Street, from Wynnefield Avenue to City Avenue 
• Wynnefield Avenue to Columbia Avenue, from 54^th Street to Parkside Avenue 

Friday, November 19 

• 38^th to 52^nd Streets from Baltimore Avenue to Spruce Street 

(South Philadelphia) 

Friday, November 19 

• Moyamensing Avenue, from 20^th Street to Oregon Avenue 
• 17^th to 22^nd Street from Oregon Avenue to Ritner Street 

Week # 3: November 22 – 26 

 (Northeast) 

Monday, November 22 

• Worthington Road to County Line Road, from Byberry Road to County Line Road 

Tuesday, November 23

• Verree Road to Bustleton Avenue, from Grant Avenue to Morefield Road 

Wednesday, November 24

• Morefield Avenue to Welsh Road, from Verree Road to Pine Road 
  

Thursday, November 25
            HOLIDAY – THANKSGIVING  

 Friday, November 26

• Welsh Road to Bloomfield Avenue, from Verree Road to Pine Road 
  
   Week # 4: November 29 – December 3 

 (Northeast) 

Monday, November 29 

• Verree Road to Krewstown Road, from Rising Sun Avenue to Grant Avenue 
• Verree Road to Rising Sun Avenue, from Susquehanna Avenue to Rhawn Street 

 Tuesday, November 30

• Oxford Avenue to Pennway Avenue, from Cottman Avenue to Magee Street 
• Oxford Avenue to City Limits, from Cottman Avenue to Rhawn Street 

Wednesday, December 1

• Rhawn Street to Welsh Road, from Holmes Avenue to Rowland Avenue 

 Thursday, December 2

• Bustleton Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard, from Grant Avenue to Lott Street 
• Orchard Lane to Clarendon Road, from Knights Road to Crestmont Road 

Friday, December 3 

• Frankford Avenue to State Road, from Grant Avenue to Linden Avenue 

Week # 5: December 6 – 10 

 (Northwest) 

Monday, December 6 

• Schoolhouse Lane to Queen Lane, from Henry Avenue to Wissahickon Avenue 
• Schoolhouse Lane to Indian Queen Lane, from Ridge Avenue to Henry Avenue 

Tuesday, December 7

• Green Lane to Summit Avenue, from Henry Avenue to Ridge Avenue 
• Ridge Avenue to River Road, from Wigard Avenue to Port Royal Road 

Wednesday, December 8

• Wissahickon Creek to Ridge Avenue, from Summit Avenue to Montgomery County Line 

Thursday, December 9

• Bells Mills Road to Willow Grove Avenue, from Germantown Avenue to Wissahickon Creek 
  

Friday, December 10

• Stenton Avenue to Germantown Avenue, from Cresheim Valley Road to Northwestern Avenue 

Week # 6: December 13 – 17 

 (Northwest) 

Monday, December 13 

• Willow Grove Avenue to Mermaid Lane, from Germantown Avenue to Wissahickon Creek 
• Lincoln Drive to Green Lane, from Allens Lane to Lincoln Drive 

 Tuesday, December 14

• Green Street to Park Line, from Lincoln Drive to Allens Lane 

Wednesday, December 15

• Stenton Avenue to Germantown Avenue, from Vernon Road to Washington Lane 
• Lincoln Drive to Germantown Avenue, from Upsal Street to Allens Lane 

Thursday, December 16

• Vernon Road to Cresheim Valley Road, from Stenton Avenue to Germantown Avenue 

Friday, December 17 

• Thouron Street to Stenton Avenue, from Washington Lane to Ivy Hill Road 

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher