Dealing with leaves after the snow melt2 min read

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Melting snow, warmer temperatures and more sunlight are sure signs that spring is just around the corner.

If you’re like many residents, you may have found an unseasonal surprise hidden underneath the snow in your yard.

Unraked leaves may have survived the winter season, and now your yard looks as if it was autumn all over again.

There are many ways to deal with lingering leaves including mulching them with your lawn mower, or composting them in a backyard composter. Both of these would provide nutrition back to your lawn.

The Region of Waterloo also offers a seasonal yard waste collection program for leaves and small branches.

When is it?

Yard waste collection runs every second week on opposite weeks of your garbage collection.

For Cambridge and Waterloo, it starts the week of Monday, March 28, 2022.

For Kitchener and the Townships, it starts the week of Monday, April 4, 2022.

The Region collects paper bagged yard waste (no plastic bags)  that is placed at the curb, and there’s no limit to the number of bags you can put out. Just keep the bags dry and under 23 kg (50 pounds). Branches can be tied into bundles, like this:

What happens to yard waste after collection?

Yard waste collection is just one of the Region’s many waste diversion programs and is an important part of our circular economy.

Once yard waste is collected, it’s brought to the Cambridge landfill site where we grind the waste and let Mother Nature chip in by turning it into compost. After about a year, we have beautiful, quality compost that residents can use for their gardens.

Compost and mulch are available for free at the Region’s Cambridge and Waterloo sites from Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from spring to fall while supplies last.

Learn more about the Region’s yard waste program.