Leaf, waste pickup schedule announced

TORRINGTON — Leaf and yard waste pickup for Torrington residents will begin Monday, Nov. 12, and end Friday, Dec. 7, weather permitting, according to a news release from the public works department. Leaves and yard waste must be placed curbside for pickup on the same day as a resident’s garbage pickup. Do not call to schedule pickup.

All yard waste is collected in separate trucks for recycling. Residents are asked not to mix or place yard waste in piles with their garbage.

Yard waste includes horticultural trimmings, which are free of stones, dirt, and sharp objects; or other natural organic matter, such as grass clippings, discarded from yards and gardens.

Only leaves and yard waste bagged in biodegradable paper bags or tied into bundles not exceeding 50 pounds will be picked up. Individual branches cannot not exceed 4 feet in length or 3 inches in diameter. Leaves or yard waste raked into piles curbside will not be picked up.

Biodegradable paper bags can be purchased at many local stores.

Residents are reminded that leaves and grass trimmings are a recyclable material and cannot be picked-up as part of the city’s normal curbside collection and disposal program. Residents are asked to advantage of the city’s spring and fall clean-ups to properly dispose of these items.