Get The Rakes: Framingham Curbside Leaf Collection Is Underway

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The leaves are falling, which means there's a weekend in the near future where the couch will be empty for an hour or two as Framingham residents pull out their rakes and clean their lawns.

In coordination with that seasonal chore, Framingham officials released the curbside leaf collection schedule for 2022, giving residents until early December to tackle the task.

Curbside leaf collection runs for five weeks. It started on Halloween and will end on Dec. 2, town officials announced.

The city also announced brush collection for this year, with the next and final pickup for the year scheduled for Dec. 5 through 9.

The Sanitation Division conducts an annual curbside collection of yard waste and brush during the spring and fall. All curbside yard waste and brush collections take place only on the weeks designated and only on your regular trash collection day for that week, officials said.

A separate collection vehicle is dispatched to collect only yard waste and brush the designated collection weeks.

So what's the difference between yard waste and brush? According to the city:

• Yard waste is defined as leaves, grass, and non-woody organic garden waste only. Yard waste does not include sod, dirt, sand, gravel, or rocks.
• Brush is wood waste from bushes and trees that is less than 4 inches in diameter, and no greater than 4 feet in length.

And how do residents dispose of them?

For leaves, grass clippings, plant waste, and light trimmings too small to bundle, use paper leaf bags or reusable containers marked "yard waste." Bags and containers cannot exceed 40 pounds and 35 gallons, officials said.

Brush pieces cannot exceed 4 inches in diameter and 4 feet in length. Bundle and tie with string or twine (no wire), or place in a reusable container marked "yard waste." Bundles and any yard waste or brush not conforming to these guidelines will not be collected and will be left at the curb, officials said.

Yard waste in plastic bags will not be collected.