Akron, OH Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Season start
- Monday, Nov. 9, 2026
- Ward order
- 5, 3, 9, 7, 6, 4, 8, 1, 2, 10
- Set-out
- Rake leaves onto the devil strip, not the street
- Bagging
- Do not bag leaves for regular leaf collection
- Ward signs
- Posted approximately 48 hours before crews are expected
- Extra pickup
- Request through 311; crews respond after all 10 wards finish
- Brush bundles
- Cut, bundled and tied, not more than four feet long
Summary
Akron begins its annual leaf removal on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, moving through the city's 10 wards in the order 5, 3, 9, 7, 6, 4, 8, 1, 2, 10. This year residents rake leaves onto the devil strip, not into the street, and do not bag them. Signs go up in a ward approximately 48 hours before crews are expected. Brush at the curb must be cut, bundled and tied under § 52.11(B).
B.No person shall place on the curb for curbside collection carpet or brush unless it is cut, bundled and tied so that the bundles are not more than four feet long. ... No section in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit or interfere with participation in the City leaf removal program.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
The City's Oct. 7, 2026 news release sets the 2026 leaf program. Collection begins Monday, Nov. 9, and proceeds through the wards in this order: Ward 5, Ward 3, Ward 9, Ward 7, Ward 6, Ward 4, Ward 8, Ward 1, Ward 2, Ward 10. Akron will no longer publish anticipated start dates for individual wards. Instead the City posts signs in each ward approximately 48 hours before leaf removal is expected to begin there, and each ward takes several days to complete. The release prints no season end date, no drop-off site and no fee for leaf collection.
The set-out rule changed this year. Residents should not rake leaves into the street. Leaves go onto the devil strip, and the City says keeping piles out of the roadway helps keep streets, storm drains and other infrastructure clear while crews move through neighborhoods. Raking can start at any time, because nobody has to wait for signs. Do not bag leaves for regular leaf collection, do not mix branches, sticks or other yard debris into the piles, do not park on or immediately adjacent to a pile where it could keep crews from collecting safely, and do not let children play in piles on or near the street.
As of October 13, 2026, the City's standing Leaf Collection page still showed the 2025 schedule and the old instruction to rake leaves into the street. Follow the Oct. 7 release and the dashboard at akronohio.gov/leaves instead. Its map shows which streets are finished and which ward crews are working in.
Leaves left after crews finish your street have two outlets. Bag them and schedule a bulk pickup by contacting 311, or rake the additional leaves onto the devil strip and ask 311 for a leaf pickup. Crews do not start on these requests until scheduled collection is complete in all 10 wards.
The code supports the program without setting dates. Section 52.18 says no section of Chapter 52 prohibits or interferes with participation in the City leaf removal program, and § 52.13 has the Director of Public Service establish the rules for the curbside collection program. Brush is a separate rule: § 52.11(B) requires carpet or brush at the curb to be cut, bundled and tied in bundles not more than four feet long.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 52.11, the section with the brush bundle rule, is a minor misdemeanor under § 52.99(A). A violation that results in a special City pickup adds an administrative fee plus the actual labor and equipment costs under § 52.99(B). Section 52.11(E) makes a building owner answerable for a violation in front of the building. Sweeping or depositing litter into a gutter or street under § 95.05 is a third-degree misdemeanor with a mandatory minimum $250 fine and four hours of community service under § 95.99(C).
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Akron start leaf collection in 2026?
Do I bag leaves or rake them to the curb in Akron?
Can I put leaves in the street in Akron?
What can I do about leaves left after the crew passes my street?
Can I burn or compost leaves in Akron?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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