Fall Community Cleanups and Leaf Collection Information

Fall is a beautiful time to live and work in University City. Our neighborhood contains a stunning canopy of trees, and watching the leaves turn helps announce the true arrival of autumn to the area. Of course, with changing leaves comes major clean-up duties this time of year. Below, please read about upcoming community cleanups and leaf collection options to help keep our neighborhood looking great.

Save the date for Saturday, December 4th, when UCD will be organizing its next community cleanup. Help keep your neighborhood clean by joining a community cleanup from 9 AM to 2 PM. We'll be picking up leaves and trash bags for disposal. To sign up and join the effort, please contact us via email or by calling 215-243-0555. 

Don't want to wait until December 4th to volunteer? On Saturday, November 13th from 9:30 AM to 12 PM, you can join a Love Your Park Fall Service Day at Clark Park. Join an effort to plant trees and flower bulbs, collect leaves for compost, and prepare local parks for the winter season. Events will follow or exceed CDC health and safety protocols.

And then on November 20th, you can also join a fall tree planting at the Woodlands organized by UC Green! Bring gloves, a mask, and be shown how to properly plant a tree. Contribute to the beauty of the neighborhood while meeting new or old friends! Click here to register. 

The City's Streets Department has begun its Leaf Recycling Program aimed at cutting down on materials that reach Philadelphia's waste stream. Through December 18th, neighbors are invited to collect leaves in biodegradable paper bags for Saturday drop-offs between 9 AM and 3 PM beginning November 20th (excluding Saturday, November 27th). The City asks that bags contain only leaves because trash, recycling, sticks, and tree limbs mixing in creates issues with recycling. They also request that bags do not exceed 40 pounds each. Recyclable bags are available at many hardware stores. In our neighborhood, the closest Saturday drop-off locations are at 43rd and Powelton and 54th and Woodbine Avenue. Bagged leaves will also be accepted at Sanitation Convenience Centers. Click here for a map.

The City is also offering mechanical sweeping for areas deemed as high-density leaf areas. Within University City, that area is set aside as a pocket that spans Spruce Hill and Cedar Park, highlighted on the map below.

Leaf sweepers will come through the neighborhood on Friday, November 19th, and neighbors are asked to:

• Rake leaves into the street by 7 a.m. on the collection day for your area
• Do not bag or pile the leaves
• Move your vehicle to an off-street parking location on your scheduled collection day, if possible