The Noblesville Street Department is in the process of its annual leaf pickup program, which continues to Dec. 13, or as weather permits.
There are two methods that residents may use to dispose of leaves: 1) Placing leaves in free, biodegradable bags; and 2) Raking loose leaves to the grass area next to the curb without placing leaves in the street. Both bagged and loose leaves are recycled into compost.
“Whether bagging or piling loose leaves, residents should only put them on the edge of their property. Leaves should not be placed in the street as this obstructs the roadway for motorists and emergency vehicles,” Noblesville Street Commissioner Patty Johnson said. “We continue to have issues with leaves not on their property or the right-of-way and are asking residents to be more mindful this fall.”
The leaf vacuums cannot pick up frozen leaves, so residents should still bag their leaves after Dec. 13. (Photo provided by City of Noblesville)
Bagged leaves will be picked up on the same day as residents’ regular trash day, but not necessarily the same time, since leaves are collected by the street department and not Republic Services. Please make sure that leaves are only bagged in biodegradable or compost bags and are placed separately from trash containers. Residents may set out as many biodegradable bags as necessary.
“The bagged leaf method is the quickest method of pickup since bags are collected weekly,” said Johnson. “All biodegradable bags will need to contain leaves only. If there is any trash or debris in them, the bag will have a tag placed on it and will not be picked up. The place where leaves are composted had problems with the amount of trash and plastic in the bags last year.”
Biodegradable bags are available free of charge to Noblesville residents at all Noblesville fire stations, City Hall (16 S. 10th St.) and the Noblesville Street Department (1575 Pleasant St.).
Street crews make a continuous circuit of the city with street sweepers and leaf vacuums. Due to the coverage area, there can be a waiting period of up to three weeks between loose leaf pickups at homes.
Residents are strongly encouraged to bag their leaves after Dec. 13 because loose leaves run the risk of freezing, which then makes them unable to be picked up by the leaf machines. If residents have loose leaves for pickup after Dec. 13, they will need to contact the street department and provide their address.
For more information, contact the Noblesville Street Department at (317) 776-6348.