| Answer | MECHANICAL LEAF COLLECTIONFirst, go to phila.gov/leaf-recycling.Mechanical leaf collection is provided as a supplement to bagged collections in areas identified as having heavy accumulations of leaves and will be offered on a designated weekly schedule in areas with a heavy concentration of leaves.
Sanitation crews collect leaves in each designated mechanical collection area, covering one (1) or two (2) Sanitation Areas each week. The crews use leaf blowers and mechanical sweepers to move leaves into the street. Tractor-trailer vacuums and/or leaf loaders are used to pick up the leaves.
The 2025 Fall Leaf Recycling Program will run from Monday, Nov. 3 to Saturday, Dec. 20.
Residents in mechanical leaf collection areas should follow these tips:
- All leaves should be raked (un-bagged) and ready for collection by 7 am the day of mechanical collection. Rake leaves into the street by the curb’s edge (piling is not necessary).
- If possible, move your vehicle to an off-street parking location on your scheduled collection day, so crews can remove leaves along the curb line.
- Residents in mechanical areas can also drop-off bagged leaves.
Due to the number of pieces of equipment used and the large cleaning boundaries to cover, crews are unable to make return visits to individual streets in the area once they move on to the next boundary. Residents are urged to sweep and bag any remaining leaves and take them to one of the drop-off locations or they may be placed out with regular trash collections. Please note that bags placed at the curb will be collected as trash, not recycling.
Click here for a Mechanical Leaf Collection map.
If Leaf Collection is Missed
***Due to the number of pieces of equipment used and the large cleaning boundaries to cover, crews are unable to make return visits to individual streets in the area once they move on to the next boundary. Residents are urged to sweep and bag any remaining leaves and take them to one of the drop-off locations or they may be placed out with regular trash collections. Please note that bags placed at the curb will be collected as trash, not recycling.*** The only exception this year is that if it was missed because of snowfall, the leaves will be collected on a later TBD date.
Can a caller request leaf collection?
Bagged leaf drop-off:
| Drop-off Location | Area | | S. 15th & Bigler Sts. | South | | N. 43rd & Powelton Sts. | West | | 4800 Wayne Ave. (Happy Hollow Rec Center) | Germantown | | N. 54th & Woodbine Ave. | West | | 7901 Ridgeway St. (Fox Chase Rec Center) | Northeast | | N. American & W. Thompson Sts. | North | | S. Broad & Christian Sts. (drop off at Southwest corner sidewalk) | South | | Castor & Foulkrod Sts. (drop off at Northeast corner sidewalk) | Frankford | | E. Cathedral St. & Ridge Ave. | Northwest | | Corinthian & Poplar Sts. | North | | W. Graver Lane & Seminole St. | Northwest | | 1400 Cottman Ave. (Jardel Rec Center) | Northeast | | Washington La & Ardleigh St. (drop off at Northwest corner sidewalk) | Northwest |
Mechanical leaf collection will be provided as a supplement in areas known to have a heavy accumulation of leaves.
The 2025 mechanical leaf collection schedule is:
| Section of the City | Mechanical Leaf Collection Dates | | Oak Lane & Frankford | November 3 – November 7 | | West | November 10 – November 14 | | Northeast | November 17 - November 21 | | Northeast | November 24 - November 28 | | South | December 1 – December 5 | | Northwest | December 8 – December 12 | | Northwest | December 15 – December 19 |
For More Information:
Residents can learn about the details of the program here:
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