[Archived] City of Alexandria Expands Residential Leaf Collection Program

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	October 16, 2006 PIO# 236-06/jbh	Brian Hannigan, Director of Communications, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA EXPANDS
RESIDENTIAL LEAF COLLECTION PROGRAM
Weekly Biodegradable Paper Leaf Bag Collections
To Supplement Vacuum Truck Cycles

The City of Alexandria will institute a new multi-modal leaf collection program this fall that combines the periodic vacuum truck collections of previous years with new weekly curbside collection of large biodegradable paper bags that will be provided free-of-charge to City residents by the Solid Waste Division of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services.

Under the new program, residents may place bagged leaves at curbside at any time. The biodegradable bags will be collected weekly in all neighborhoods on the day following the regular trash pickup day. The bags will then be shredded and processed along with vacuumed leaves into mulch that is made available to Alexandria residents each spring. The sturdy 30-gallon City of Alexandria Fall Leaf Collection biodegradable bags will be available for free distribution to City residents at five convenient locations throughout the City beginning on Monday, October 16. A listing of Fall Leaf Collection bag pickup locations is attached to this announcement.

The City of Alexandria’s vacuum truck leaf collection program has also been restructured for 2006 to provide City residents with a more reliable collection schedule to help them know when to prepare their un-bagged leaves for curbside collection. Under this program, no less than three vacuum truck collections are scheduled in each of Alexandria’s five leaf collection service areas. A map of collection service areas and schedule of planned Leaf Collection Area vacuum truck pickup dates are also attached to this announcement.

“Vacuum truck leaf collections are easily impacted by adverse weather,” said Richard Baier, Director of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services. “When leaves get wet, they can clog drains, cause slippery streets and make it more difficult for the trucks to collect. By using biodegradable paper bags, we enable residents who wish to bag their leaves to continue to participate in an environmentally sound recycling program while they also exercise more control over when their streets and parking places are cleared and the leaves are collected.”

Vacuum truck and biodegradable bag collections will both begin on Monday, October 30. Vacuum truck collections are scheduled to conclude by mid-December, while biodegradable bag collections will continue to be collected weekly through the first week of January.

Residents are reminded to follow leaf pickup preparation guidelines to ensure that traffic and street drainage are not impeded and City crews can complete pickups on schedule.

Vacuum Truck Pickup Guidelines

� Make sure leaves left for vacuum truck pickup are free of stones, litter, branches or other debris.

� Avoid placing leaves in front of storm drains or water meter covers.

� Rake leaves into piles at the curb instead of spreading them along the curbline.

� Do not park cars on leaf piles. In addition to impeding collection, this is also a fire hazard.

� Leaves need to be visible at the curbline of the street, not in alleys or on service roads.

Biodegradable Bag Pickup Guidelines

� Place bagged leaves out for pickup at any time. They will be collected every week on the day following each neighborhood’s regular solid waste collection day.

� Bagged leaves must be free of stones, litter, branches or other debris.

� Use only biodegradable paper bags distributed free by the City or purchased from garden centers or home improvement stores.

NOTE: Leaves and yard waste in plastic bags can not be recycled into leaf mulch and should be placed out for regular trash pickup. This material will be disposed of with other solid waste at the City’s Waste-to-Energy Plant.

Fall Leaf Collection Biodegradable Bag Pickup Locations

City Hall, 301 King Street (Market Square Entrance)
Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Solid Waste Division Office, 3600 Wheeler Avenue
(south of Duke Street, just west of Quaker Lane)
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

*Charles Barrett Recreation Center
1115 Martha Custis Dr. (off West Glebe Rd.)
Monday-Friday, 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

*Chinquapin Park Recreation Center
3210 King Street
Monday-Thursday, 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

*William Ramsay Recreation Center
5650 Sanger Avenue
Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

*Recreation Center Locations were added subsequent to publication of City’s 2006 Leaf Collection brochure.

For more information, call the City's Solid Waste Division at 703-519-3486.

2006 Leaf Collection Areas and Collection Schedule

AREA I

Prepare for Collection by:

Nov. 3

Nov. 21

Dec. 10

AREA II

Prepare for Collection by:

Nov. 7

Nov. 26

Dec. 13

AREA III

Prepare for Collection by:

Oct. 29

Nov. 15

Dec. 4

AREA IV

Prepare for Collection by:

Nov. 12

Nov. 30

Dec. 18

AREA V

Area V collections will begin on October 30 on the north side of Old Town and proceed south to the City Limits. This cycle will be repeated weekly through mid-December.

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