Brantford Yard Waste Collection: A Fall Guide for 2026

Brantford's fall yard waste pickup runs every week from September 28 to December 4, 2026, on your regular collection day. You can set out up to 30 kraft paper bags or marked open bins, each under 25 kg (55 lbs). Have them at the curb by 7 a.m. Don't rake leaves to the curb. Extra leaves, grass and weeds can go to the Mohawk Street Landfill for free.

When is fall yard waste pickup in Brantford?

The City of Brantford collects yard waste every week in 2026. It comes on the same day as your regular collection. The year is split into two seasons with different limits.

Season	Dates in 2026	Most you can set out
Spring and summer	April 6 to September 25	10 bags or containers
Fall	September 28 to December 4	30 bags or containers

So the fall season has already started. You get ten weeks of pickup, and the limit just tripled. That gives you room for the big leaf weeks.

Want a reminder the night before? The City points people to the Recycle Coach app. It sends collection reminders for your address.

What time do you put yard waste out?

Have your bags at the curb by 7 a.m. on collection day. Don't put them out before 7 p.m. the night before.

The City's collection contractor has until 5 p.m. to finish. So a late truck isn't a missed pickup yet. If your bags are still there the next morning, report it then. The City only takes missed pickup reports the morning after your collection day.

Don't leave the bags out for days, either. Brantford's waste rules sit in Chapter 440 of the Municipal Code. The City lists set fines for putting waste out in the wrong container. It also lists fines for not taking in uncollected waste after 7 p.m. on collection day.

Which bags and bins does Brantford accept?

You have two choices for leaves and other yard waste:

• Kraft paper yard waste bags
• Open, rigid walled containers, like a can with no lid, clearly marked as yard waste

To mark a can, grab a yard waste sticker. You can pick one up at the Customer Service Desk at City Hall or at the Mohawk Street Landfill.

Keep plastic out. That means no plastic bags, and no plastic liners inside the paper bags. Keep other garbage out of the bags too.

Every bag or can must weigh less than 25 kg (55 lbs). Wet leaves get heavy fast. A paper bag packed with soaked leaves can go over that limit and tear on the way to the curb. Fill bags on a dry day if you can, and don't pack them too tight.

Can you rake leaves to the curb in Brantford?

No. This is the big one. Some nearby cities send vacuum trucks for loose leaf piles on the road. Brantford doesn't. The City's yard waste page says it plainly: do not rake leaves to the curb.

Your leaves need to be bagged or in a marked bin, out on your collection day. A loose pile at the road edge won't be picked up. It can also blow back onto your lawn or into the street.

A good habit: rake into a tarp, then tip the tarp straight into the bag. Folding the top of the paper bag over once helps it stay upright in the wind.

What yard waste does Brantford take, and what does it refuse?

What goes out at the curb

• Grass, leaves, weeds and yard rakings
• Brush, hedge clippings and tree trimmings, tied in bundles no bigger than 4 feet (about 1.2 m) long and 3 feet (about 90 cm) across
• Branches under 4 inches (about 10 cm) thick

Bundling matters in the fall. If you cut back your hedges or shrubs after the leaves drop, tie the clippings. Keep the bundle short enough that one person can lift it.

What stays behind

Rocks, dirt, sod and large branches won't be collected. The City sends those to the Mohawk Street Landfill.

Yard waste doesn't go in your green bin, either. Brantford's green bin is for food and food soiled paper. Grass clippings and yard waste are on its "no" list. So are noxious weeds like wild parsnip, giant hogweed and poison ivy.

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

Where can you drop off leaves in Brantford?

The Mohawk Street Landfill is at 20 Morrison Road. It's open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Sundays.

Leaves, grass and weeds are free to drop off. Twigs mixed in must be no thicker than 2 cm (about 3/4 inch). Brush with no stumps is charged by weight. So is a mix of sod, grass and soil.

A few landfill rules to know before you load the car:

• Your load must be weighed and unloaded before 5 p.m., so don't arrive at 4:55.
• The waste must come from inside the City of Brantford.
• The landfill is also where you pick up yard waste stickers.

The landfill is your backup plan. If you have more than 30 bags in one week, or you miss the last pickup on December 4, you can still take leaves there.

How should you plan fall cleanup in Brantford?

Leaves don't all fall in one weekend. With weekly pickup and a 30 bag limit, a few smaller rounds work better than one giant pile.

1. Early October: rake or mow the first leaves while they're dry. Set out what you have on your next collection day.
2. As the trees let go: rake every week or two so leaves don't mat down on the grass. Fill bags to match the weekly pickup.
3. Late November: do a final pass for leaves blown in from the street. Clear beds and the edges along fences.
4. Before December 4: get the last bags out on your final collection day. After that, it's the landfill.

Mowing leaves is another option. Shredded leaves take up less room in a bag. A thin layer chopped fine can even stay on the lawn. Our post on mulching leaves with a lawn mower explains when that works and when to rake instead.

How long do you keep mowing in the fall?

Keep mowing while the grass grows. A soil survey for Brant County counts the local growing season to about November 5. Environment Canada's records give Brantford a middle year first fall frost around October 10. Grass slows down after frost, but it doesn't stop on that day.

The City suggests grasscycling: a sharp blade, dry grass, a 3 inch (7.5 cm) cut, and clippings left on the lawn. That keeps grass out of your bags, so you have more room for leaves. The City even says to ask your lawn service to grasscycle.

Brantford's Lot Maintenance By-law, Chapter 492, keeps turf grass below 20.32 cm (8 inches). For more local rules, soil and weather, see our Brantford lawn care page. Close by, Cambridge runs a loose leaf program instead. Our Cambridge leaf collection guide covers it.

Can someone handle the leaves for you?

Yes. Bagging up to 30 bags a week is a lot of lifting. Plenty of people would rather spend fall weekends doing something else.

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

Your crew can do a fall cleanup with leaves bagged in kraft paper, never raked to the road. They can keep up your regular mowing until the grass stops growing too. Ask your crew how they handle haul away for extra leaves.

We price every yard by its size from satellite images, so no one needs to visit. A cleanup price depends on lawn size, how many leaves you have, gates, slopes, hedges and haul 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. Book the season through the Worry-Free Lawn Season and your first cut is free.

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

Brantford Yard Waste Questions

Rules change, so check with the City before you plan. Sources: Brantford yard waste, Mohawk Street Landfill, Green Bin, waste collection offences, Lot Maintenance By-law, Brantford climate normals, Soils of Brant County.