Belleville Yard Waste Pickup: Your Fall Cleanup Guide

Belleville picks up leaves and yard waste at the curb only once each fall. The City splits Belleville into six zones, and the fall dates it lists now run from November 3 to November 9. Have your waste out by 7 a.m. in kraft paper bags, boxes, canisters or bushel baskets. Miss your day? Take it to the free depot at 75 Wallbridge Cres. with proof you live in Belleville.

When is fall yard waste pickup in Belleville?

The City collects leaf and yard waste at the curb two times a year. Once in spring, once in fall. Between those pickups, you can use the City's free depot.

Each zone gets one fall day. Here are the fall dates on the City's leaf and yard waste page right now:

Zone	Area	Fall pickup
Zone 1	West of the Moira River, south of the CNR tracks	Tuesday, Nov. 3
Zone 4	East of the Moira River, south of Victoria Avenue	Wednesday, Nov. 4
Zone 2	West of the Moira River, north of the CNR tracks, south of Highway 401	Thursday, Nov. 5
Zone 3	East of the Moira River, north of Victoria Avenue, south of Highway 401	Friday, Nov. 6
Zone 5	West of Highway 37	Monday, Nov. 9
Zone 6	East of Highway 37	Monday, Nov. 9

The City's page doesn't print a year beside the dates. They line up with the 2026 calendar, but check the page or the zone map before you set anything out. The City will also email you a printed schedule for your area if you ask.

What time does it need to be at the curb?

By 7 a.m. on your zone's day. The truck only comes once. If you wait until after work, you'll likely miss it.

The easy plan is to set everything out the night before. Keep bags on your own property at the end of the driveway. Don't block the sidewalk or the road.

What bags and containers can you use?

The City lists four kinds of containers for curbside yard waste:

• Kraft paper yard bags
• Cardboard boxes
• Canisters, like a plain garden can
• Bushel baskets

The crew empties boxes, canisters and baskets and leaves them at the curb for you. So write your address on anything you want back.

Tie branches and brush into small bundles. Loose sticks thrown on a pile are a pain to lift, and they may get left behind.

Can you use plastic bags?

Skip them. The depot says plainly that plastic bags are not accepted, and plastic isn't on the curbside list either. Paper yard bags are sold at most hardware stores, and they break down with the leaves.

Can leaves go in the green bin?

No. Belleville's green bin is for kitchen scraps and soiled paper. The City lists yard waste under "What's Not Accepted." It says bins with materials it doesn't accept will not be collected.

What if you miss your zone's pickup day?

Use the Leaf and Yard Waste Depot. It sits at 75 Wallbridge Cres., on the north side of the Public Works building. Drop off is free. Bring proof that you live in Belleville.

Here are the depot hours posted by the City:

Day	Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday	7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday	7:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.
Saturday	10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday	Closed

Wednesday is the late night, so it's the easy one if you work days. The depot also closes on some holidays. In fall, that means Truth and Reconciliation Day and Thanksgiving. Don't load the car on those days.

What does the depot take?

• Leaves and grass clippings
• Flowers, and fruits and vegetables from the garden
• Other plant material from yard work
• Brush and small limbs up to 2¾ inches (about 7 cm) thick and 4 feet (about 1.2 m) long

It won't take garbage, lumber or kitchen food waste. Paper bags are fine at the depot too, and City staff will help move your waste into the bins.

Can you burn leaves or rake them into the street?

Neither is a good plan in Belleville. The City's Open Air Burning By-law 2025-118 says no one may burn grass. Its meaning of open air burning includes leaves, and that kind of fire needs a burn permit. Brush fires are only allowed in Zone A of the by-law's map, and only with a permit.

Raking leaves onto the road is also out. The City's waste By-law 98-175 makes it an offence to sweep or throw leaves onto a street in the Belleville Ward. Leaves in the gutter can also clog storm drains when the rain comes.

Do you have to pick up every leaf?

Not always. The City says leaving leaves in place in late fall and early spring helps pollinators, insects and wildlife. It also says you can mulch or compost leaves and use them in your garden or flower beds.

A good middle path works for most yards. Leave a thin layer in the flower beds and under shrubs. Clear the thick mats off the grass, the walks and the driveway. A thick, wet layer on the lawn can smother it before spring.

How should you plan your fall cleanup around the pickup day?

Timing is the hard part. The first fall frost in Belleville comes around October 13 on average, based on Environment and Climate Change Canada's long-term normals. Leaves keep dropping for weeks after that. Your zone gets one pickup in early November. Anything that falls after that goes to the depot.

Here's a simple plan that works for most yards:

1. Mid to late October: Rake or blow the first big drop off the lawn. Bag it dry and stack the bags in the garage.
2. The week before your zone day: Do the big cleanup. Cut back tired perennials, pick up sticks and bundle the branches.
3. The night before: Set everything at the curb so it's out well before 7 a.m.
4. After pickup: Late leaves go to the depot, or get mulched in by the mower on the last cut.

Keep mowing while the grass still grows. Belleville's Land Maintenance By-law 2025-117 says grass and weeds can't be taller than 15 cm (about 6 inches). A warm fall can push some lawns close to that. For more on local rules, soil and weather, see our Belleville lawn care page.

Weeds popping up in the fall leaves? Our partner crews don't spray, and we don't give advice on weed killers or other chemicals.

Can someone else do the fall cleanup for you?

Yes. Fall cleanup is a lot of bending, raking and hauling, all in a short window. Many people just want it done right before their zone day.

Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local crew in Belleville. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.

Your crew can do a fall cleanup that clears the leaves and bags them the way the City wants. They can also keep up your regular mowing until the grass stops growing. If your hedges got shaggy this summer, add hedge trimming to the same visit so the clippings go out with everything else.

We price every yard by its size from satellite images, so no one needs to come by. The price for a cleanup depends on things like lawn size, how many leaves there are, gates, slopes and whether you want it hauled away. You get your price by text in 60 minutes. You keep the same crew every visit, and they text you a photo when the job is done. If you book the season through the Worry-Free Lawn Season, your first cut is free.

Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.

Belleville Yard Waste Questions

Rules change, so check with the City before you plan. Sources: leaf and yard waste, green bin organics, City by-laws, Belleville climate normals.