2026 Fall Leaf & Yard Waste Collection Begins; First Set Out Date for Some Neighborhoods Is 10/4/26
Honey locust leaves are falling; backyard gardens are being harvested. It's time to start the fall leaf and yard waste pickup season!
The first set out date for some - not all - neighborhoods is Sunday, October 4, 2026.
Dates when you should set out your leaves and yard waste for pickup are different around Madison.
Every neighborhood has three scheduled leaf and yard waste set out opportunities.
Collection of leaves and yard waste should occur during the work week following the set-out date provided.
Leaves and yard waste are banned from Wisconsin landfills.
Do not put leaves and yard waste in the trash cart.
Do not put them in the recycling cart.
Leaves and yard waste have been banned from all Wisconsin landfills since 1993.
Your options for yard waste disposal:
- Use the curbside collection provided by the Streets Division,
- Use the drop-off sites,
- Compost the yard waste yourself and use other methods to conquer your leaves to help our lakes and pollinators , or
- Hire a private lawn care service.
When do I put out my leaves and yard waste for City of Madison collection?
Go our yard waste website.
Enter your address into the form.
You will see the next available date when you should set out leaves and yard waste for collection.
The set out dates are different around the city.
Every neighborhood has three scheduled set-out date opportunities for the fall.
What will leaf and yard waste crews collect?
Crews collect leaves, weeds, pumpkins, black walnuts, vines, and other plant debris you have raked or pulled from your lawn or garden. Yard waste crews do not collect dirt, rocks, or similar material.
Yard waste and leaves are not the same as brush. Keep the piles separated.
Brush is defined as sticks, branches, and tree limbs. (Learn more about brush collection on the brush website.)
If you have stacks of brush out for pickup, keep it separated from your piles of leaves and yard waste.
Piles of mixed leaves and yard waste will not be picked up.
How should I put out my leaves yard waste for collection?
Place the leaves and yard waste at the street edge or on the terrace on the date shown for your home.
Do not place yard waste into the street. Placing leaves into the street is an ordinance violation.
Keep the material at least five feet from obstructions. Street signs, fire hydrants, utility poles, mailboxes, trees, stumps, and parked cars get in the way of crews.
Bagging your leaves and yard waste? Great! Use compostable paper leaf and lawn bags. Keep your bags open so crews can see what is inside.
Other bags are acceptable if they are kept open, too. Crews may need to rip or slice open plastic bags to empty them. Crews will leave the split bags behind at the curb.
You can take leaves and yard waste to Streets Division drop-off sites
Drop-off sites are for City of Madison, Wisconsin residents and taxpayers.
Check the drop-off site website for locations, restrictions, and hours before loading your vehicle.
How does the City of Madison collect leaves and yard waste?
Every available person the Streets Division can spare is assigned to leaf pickup. Keep in mind, the Streets Division performs other duties such as collecting trash, recycling, and large items and personnel and equipment are needed for those jobs, too.
Leaf and yard waste crews work in the teams to push or pull material from the right of way space along public roadways, and then a vehicle gathers it forward into a collection truck.
Later, a street sweeper arrives to clean up leaf litter remaining in the road.
The leaves and yard waste are delivered to a local composter for processing.
Will there be more than three pickup chances?
We don't know today in October if the weather in December will let us do an extra pickup round.
Our priority is providing each neighborhood with their three scheduled collections first.
The scheduled collections do not conclude for every neighborhood until the week after Thanksgiving.
If the weather lets us do more after each neighborhood receives their three pickup chances, we will do more. And we will announce it.
We strongly encourage you to sign up for email updates on our website to stay updated for any changes and updates to our operations.
Additional Information
More information about yard waste collection can be found on the Streets Division's website, or contact our offices.