City offers guidelines for leaf collection

MIDDLETOWN — The city of Middletown will begin its fall leaf collection program at the end of October. Leaves will be collected from the curb and brought to a central location for composting.

Due to leaf collection operations, bulk waste collections, in all areas of the city, except the sanitation district, are suspended, according to a press release. Payment for curbside bulk pickups must be received to get on the list.

Curbside bulky pickups are always suspended during leaf collection season to allow trucks to be used for collection, the news release said. After collection season, bulky pickup is only available on a weatherpermitting basis until the snow season ends.

Brush collection will also be suspended during this time. Only storm-related brush will be collected until the spring.

Residents may rake their leaves to the curb or bag them in biodegradable paper bags and leave them at the curb. Leaves in plastic bags will not be accepted.

Leaves must be kept separate from brush, grass and rubbish, and only leaves are acceptable. Public Works crews will be operating during the next two months to pick up the leaves in vacuum trucks.

Guidelines for collection

Leaves can be raked to the curb and left loose at the curb for collection with vacuum trucks.

Leaves can be placed in biodegradable paper bags and placed at the curb for collection

For safety reasons, leaves should not be placed on the road.

It is very important that residents make sure leaves do not get raked onto the street, the release said. It is extremely dangerous if children decide to play in leaf piles or if cars park on top of the piles. Also, leaves in the street can clog catch basins, causing flooding and other difficulties.

There is no daily or weekly schedule for collection in Middletown. Crews will circulate throughout the city at least twice. If leaves are not raked to the curb for the first round, crews will be back.

Recycling leaves

Leaves can also be brought directly to the recycling center on the corner of North Main and Johnson streets. If leaves are bagged, they must be emptied at the center, which is open weekdays, 7 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and every Saturday in November from 7 to 11:45 a.m.

Beginning Dec. 1, it will open on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 7 to 11:45 a.m.

Residents can also choose to compost their own leaves in their backyard, which is an easy way to recycle leaves and make valuable compost that can be used in gardens, flowerbeds and houseplants, the release said.

For information, contact Recycling Coordinator Kim O’Rourke at 860-638-4855 or kim.orourke @middletownct.gov.

Getty Images Middletown Public Works has begun its annual leaf collection.