Kalamazoo’s fall leaf pickup runs November 2 through December 12, and residents can start setting leaves out at the curb now.
The city’s solid waste coordinator gave the update to the Environmental Concerns Committee on October 21. Pickup begins Monday, November 2, and runs six consecutive weeks, every day except Sundays and holidays. Public works and public services crews collect leaves that residents place at the curb, and there is no limit on volume. The coordinator said crews moved about 20,000 cubic yards of leaves last year, all of which was composted.
Staff also said every residence in the city can get a recycling cart through the solid waste millage on the property tax. Residents without one can request a cart through 311 or online. People in apartment buildings or other multi-unit housing should ask their property manager or owner to request a container. The city’s contract with its service provider requires residents to opt in. Staff said the city moved more than 2,200 tons of recyclables in 2025 and expects to meet or exceed that this year.
The city’s food scrap recycling program, which began in April 2025, recently added the West Main Hill neighborhood. The neighborhood placed a drop-off cart at its community garden. Staff said the city is looking at opening the program to all neighborhoods, and neighborhood groups interested in hosting a cart can call 311.
Staff also addressed Halloween candy wrappers. They are multilayer plastic and don’t belong in curbside carts or dumpsters. They can be recycled through mail-in services that residents buy, staff said. The city plans to collect wrappers separately at a Halloween event at Milham Park on Saturday, October 24.
