Naperville's 2026 Bulk Curbside Leaf Collection Begins Oct. 19

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The City’s Bulk Curbside Leaf Collection Program will begin on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. This free program provides every neighborhood with three collection opportunities during a six-week period, weather permitting. It is one of several methods residents can use to dispose of or repurpose fallen leaves, and is meant to complement other options, including mulching, composting, and free bagged leaf collection. 

To participate in the Bulk Curbside Leaf Collection Program, residents rake leaves into the street next to the curb by 6 a.m. on the first day of each collection cycle. Cycles are scheduled to begin on: 

• Monday, Oct. 19 

• Monday, Nov. 2

• Monday, Nov. 16 

Depending on the weather, it will take crews approximately two weeks to complete each Citywide collection. The program concludes on Nov. 25. Crews will collect leaves in front of each home once during each cycle.  

An interactive map is available at naperville.il.us/leafcollection to track the progress of the collection cycles. Residents can also sign up for the City’s mass notification system, Naper Notify, at naperville.il.us/napernotify to receive leaf collection information. Once an account has been created, residents should select the Brush and Leaf Collection category to receive leaf collection updates via a phone call, text message, email or smartphone app.  

Residents should note the following: 

• Rake leaves away from storm drains to prevent flooding and avoid parking cars on top of leaf piles. 

• Avoid placing items other than leaves in leaf piles. Branches, twigs, lumber, rocks and other items buried in leaf piles can cause mechanical breakdowns of equipment, delaying the collection process. 

• Rake leaves to the street during every collection cycle, even if it is a small amount. This helps prevent the final collection crews from having the largest quantity to pick up when snow is most probable, and timing is crucial. 

• Snow, rain or freezing weather may significantly delay or permanently halt curbside leaf collection. If the program concludes early because of weather, residents should dispose of remaining leaves through the City’s Free Bagged Leaf and Yard Waste Collection Program.  

• Leaf volume and weather uncertainties make it impossible for the City to guarantee curbside leaf collection on a specific day.  
• Leaf collection equipment will leave debris on the street. Street sweeping will begin after curbside leaf collection ends, weather permitting. Residents may choose to sweep up leaf debris and include it in the free bagged leaf program.  

Once crews have completed the final curbside collection cycle, all remaining leaves must be disposed of through the City’s Free Bagged Leaf and Yard Waste Collection Program or reused for landscaping purposes. 

Free Bagged Leaf and Yard Waste Collection Program 
The City’s Free Bagged Leaf and Yard Waste Collection Program is scheduled to run from Nov. 2 to Dec. 11 as another convenient option for leaf disposal. During this time, residents are not required to use yard waste stickers to dispose of yard waste (including leaves) placed in 32-gallon paper yard waste bags, clearly marked 32-gallon trash cans or clearly marked two-wheeled carts. The yard waste should be placed at the curb by 6 a.m. on the resident’s normal trash collection day.  

Prior to Nov. 2, a yard waste sticker is required on each bag, can or cart placed out for collection. Branches and other yard waste materials that are tied into bundles always require a yard waste sticker. 

All yard waste collection ends for the year on Dec. 11. This includes the City’s Yard Waste/Organics Collection Program, which allows residents to bypass bagging and stickers by utilizing a provided cart to dispose of food waste/organics and yard waste for an annual fee paid to Groot Industries. The Food Scrap Composting drop-off program also ends for the year on Dec. 11.  

Yard waste collection will begin again on March 15, 2027. 

For details on the Bulk Curbside Leaf Collection or Free Bagged Leaf and Yard Waste Collection programs, visit naperville.il.us/leafcollection. For more resources on environmentally friendly ways to repurpose yard waste, visit naperville.il.us/yardwaste. 

About Naperville: Located 28 miles west of Chicago, Naperville, Ill., is home to approximately 150,000 people. This vibrant, thriving city consistently ranks as a top community in the nation in which to live, raise children and retire. The city is home to acclaimed public and parochial schools, the best public library system in the country, an array of healthcare options and an exceptionally low crime rate. Naperville has ready access to a variety of public transportation, housing and employment options. The city’s diversified employer base features high technology firms, retailers and factories, as well as small and home-based businesses. Residents also enjoy world-class parks, diverse worship options, the opportunity to serve on several City boards and commissions, a thriving downtown shopping and dining area, a renowned outdoor history museum known as Naper Settlement and an active civic community. For more information, please visit our website at www.naperville.il.us.