Burlington's loose-leaf collection starts November 9: one pick-up week per zone, and fines for leaves that block sidewalks or bike lanes

The schedule

The City of Burlington's loose-leaf collection program starts on Monday, November 9. The city is divided into three collection zones, and each zone has one pick-up week. Residents are encouraged to check the City's leaf collection schedule and zone map to find their zone.

The City says leaves put out after your collection date will not be picked up if crews have already finished your street, and that the program is weather-dependent: freezing rain or snow can delay or cancel it.

How to set leaves out

• Rake leaves to the edge of the curb or roadway in a loose pile, no more than two days before your pick-up date.
• Keep piles free of branches and debris. The City says leaves mixed with debris and branches will not be collected.
• Do not place leaves in bike lanes, on sidewalks or pathways, or over storm drains, catch basins or ditches.
• Move basketball nets, cars and other obstructions off the road during your pick-up dates, and keep garbage bags, bins, blue boxes and green carts off the piles.

Fines and the tracking map

In 2025 the City amended its Lot Maintenance By-law (No. 49-2022) to include fines for leaves placed in a way that blocks sidewalks or bike lanes or creates flooding hazards. The City says fines may apply for significant obstructions that block access or visibility. It also runs an interactive Collection Tracking Map, updated through the day, that shows collection progress by zone. If the map shows only half a street collected, the City says crews may have finished for the day and will return the next day.

Delays, and what to do after

If collection is delayed or cancelled, residents can call 905-335-7777 for updates, which are also posted at burlington.ca/leafcollection and on the City's social media channels. Once the program ends, remaining leaves should be bagged for Halton Region's yard waste collection, which the City says ends in December and runs on garbage day. The City also suggests mulching leaves with a lawnmower or composting them, and Halton Region's waste management site accepts leaves in paper bags or in bulk.