Scheduled Leaf Pickup 2025 – November 10 to December 10

Guidelines  |  Check the Map   |  Alternatives & Resources

Know when to put them out.

Residents are allowed to pile their household leaves in the street for pickup only during the scheduled leaf pickup period (Nov. 10 to Dec. 10, 2025). However, putting leaves in the street increases the likelihood of flooding due to blocked catch basins and impeded storm water flow as well as increasing traffic and safety risks for first responders, drivers, cyclists, and even pedestrians (Additionally, changing state storm water regulations may rule this practice out in the future). Because of this, residents are asked to only pile leaves in the street just before their neighborhood will be picked up by the Public Works Department. Check the Leaf Map to see when crews will be active in your neighborhood.

Guidelines:

• Pile leaves no wider than 4 feet, for traffic safety, leaving a 6-12 inch gap between the curb and pile to allow storm water to pass to catch basins.
• Do not block fire hydrants or driveways, for everyone’s safety
• Do not bag leaves or place tree limbs, branches, or other yard waste at the curb (or in piles) at this time. These can damage leaf processing equipment and will not be picked up during scheduled leaf pickup.
• For County road leaf pickup schedules, contact Essex County at (973) 239-3366.

Check the Map!

The best way to know more specifically when your neighborhood will be picked up is to look at the online Leaf Map that shows which area of town is being actively worked on (green), which is up next (yellow), and which will not be addressed for several days (red). During scheduled leaf pickup it can take 10-14 days for the DPW to complete one circuit of the town, meaning your leaves could be clogging drains and snarling traffic for 2 weeks. If you use a landscaper, show them where to access the leaf map or ask them to remove your leaves themselves.

You can access the leaf map from here,  Version Options Leaf Season Headlineor by going to the home page of this website, choosing “Community Map”, and then selecting “Leaf Map” under “Map Layers”.

Alternatives to removing leaves

Leaves are actually useful organic material and can be retained on your property for use as mulch, composted to make a rich soil amendment, or used as winter insulation around the base of sensitive plants. Simply mulching the leaves right back into your grass as you mow feeds the soil and saves you money on fertilizers. Mulch piles of leaves also provide important winter habitat for a variety of insects and pollinators that make your yard healthier. Below are some resources to learn more about how and why to manage leaves on your property.

Resources:

US Dept. of Agriculture: Leave the Leaves

National Wildlife Foundation: Why You Should Leave the Leaves  |  What to do with Fallen Leaves

South Orange Environmental Commission and Green Team: Leave the leaves.