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You asked, we answered. What will leaf collection look like in Bloomington this year?

By Emma Herwehe

Posted September 6, 2023

A photo of autumn leaves and yard waste in a Bloomington street.

Leaves along the a street in Bloomington. (Emma Atkinson, WFIU/WTIU News)

Curbside vacuum leaf collection will cease this year in the City of Bloomington, which will affect about 13,500 households in the City who are eligible for the service.

The City said in a press release that stopping vacuum leaf collection will bring multiple benefits to the city, including saving an estimated $400,000 annually. The funding for vacuum collection comes from a state tax, whose amounts have been decreasing since 2019 and will continue to do so, according to the release.

The funds previously spent on leaf collection can now be used for projects such as paving, sidewalks and snow control.

“Overall, it will be a reduction, it will be a service not provided in that division, but it allows them to do more things in their other focus areas,” Wason said.

Read more: Bloomington Farm Stop Collective rebrands in inclusivity effort, activist backlash follows

Ceasing vacuum collection will also actively support the Climate Action Plan, a plan to mitigate the effects of climate change, by eliminating air emissions from the diesel-fueled trucks used to vacuum the leaves.

“This became very obvious that it was one of our more carbon-intensive activities, that could be considered the low-hanging fruit of our climate plan and sustainability efforts,” Wason said

Residents are now encouraged to mulch and compost their leaves as much as possible, and bag the rest for collection by the City’s yard waste program.

Composting and mulching will enrich soil and act as attractive bedding for pollinators.

“By mulching down the leaves as they fall throughout the fall season, and keeping those onsite, it’s regenerative for the Earth,” Wason said.

The city has partnered with Civic Champs’ Helping Hands volunteer matching program to provide support to residents who need assistance mow mulching, composting or raking their leaves into bags or carts.

Starting Sept. 18, residents can visit any fire station in town and request a bundle of five free yard waste bags. Starting in November, the City will collect paper yard waste bags or carts of dried leaves once a week for free.

“Whether some of our community members who are getting up there in years may not be as mobile as they used to be and need some assistance, there’s going to be other options for folks to look for,” Wason said.

Wason said this decision was not made lightly. The department spent a couple years with the Office of Innovation and others learning about the many households in Bloomington that currently mulch.

“There’s a better way to manage leaves than to drive big heavy dump trucks up and down the street to clean up the leaves from the curb,” Wason said.

Residents can learn more about the City’s new leaf collection efforts at the City of Bloomington’s website.

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