Sarnia Leaf and Yard Waste Guide: Fall 2026

In Sarnia, leaves go to the curb in paper yard waste bags or in rigid bins marked with an X. Put them out on your regular collection day, during your zone's yard waste weeks. In November 2026, pickup runs every week for both zones. You can also drop leaves off for free at the Compost Site, 379 St. Andrew St. Never rake or blow leaves onto the street.

When is yard waste pickup in Sarnia this fall?

Sarnia picks up yard waste from April to December. It comes on your regular collection day, but only in certain weeks. The City splits the city into two zones. Your yard waste weeks match your recycling weeks.

Here are the weeks left in 2026, from the City's collection schedule:

Zone	October	November and December
Zone 1	Oct. 12 to 16, Oct. 26 to 30	Every week, Nov. 2 to 27
Zone 2	Oct. 5 to 9, Oct. 19 to 23	Every week, Nov. 2 to Dec. 4

See the switch? In October, pickup comes every second week. In November, it comes every week, right when the big trees drop. Zone 1's last week is November 23 to 27. Zone 2 gets one more, November 30 to December 4.

How do you find your zone?

Type your address into the Sarnia WasteWise App widget on the City's collection schedule page. It shows your day and zone. You can also download the 2026 waste collection calendar. If your address won't come up, call Marcotte Disposal at 519-339-9988.

How do you set out leaves at the curb in Sarnia?

The rules are simple, but the crew on the truck follows them closely. Here's what the City asks:

• Use paper yard waste bags, or a rigid plastic bin with no lid.
• A bin needs drainage holes and an X marked on two sides.
• Keep each bag or bin under 22 kg (48 lb).
• Set it out by 7 a.m. on your collection day.
• Don't set it out before 6 p.m. the night before.
• Keep it off the road and out of the gutter.

There's no limit on how many bags you put out. That helps in a big leaf year. But a bin full of rainwater won't be picked up, so tip it out first.

Wet leaves get heavy fast. Fill bags part way on a rainy week, so each one stays under the weight limit. Our post on yard waste bags vs bins compares the two.

What happens if you break the rules?

Setting yard waste out too early, or on the road or gutter, breaks Waste By-Law 62 of 2006. The City says fines are set by the court. Raking or blowing leaves onto the street isn't allowed under the Streets By-Law either. Leaves in the road can block drains, so keep piles on your side of the curb.

What can go in Sarnia yard waste?

The City takes these at the curb:

• Leaves
• Grass, or sod with the dirt removed
• Weeds
• Hay or straw
• House plants without trunks
• Unpainted pumpkins. They don't need a bag, but take out candles and decorations first.

What does the truck leave behind?

Some fall items look like yard waste but aren't. The City won't take these with leaves:

• Acorns and black walnuts
• Pinecones (they go with brush instead)
• Branches, twigs and other brush
• Soil, sand, clay, stones and wood chips
• Stumps, root balls and tree trunks
• Any yard waste mixed with brush

If you have an oak or a black walnut tree, rake the nuts out of your leaf bags. One mixed bag can get left at the curb. Painted pumpkins go in the garbage, not yard waste.

Yard waste never goes in your garbage. Sarnia has no green bin yet either. The City has proposed one for 2027, but Council still has to approve it.

When is brush pickup in Sarnia this fall?

Brush has its own weeks, and both zones share them. Two are left in 2026: October 5 to 9, and November 30 to December 4. Those are good weeks to clear branches after a hedge trim or a fall windstorm.

Brush rules from the City:

• Keep brush separate from leaves and grass.
• Tie it in bundles with jute or twine, or use a marked bin.
• Branches can be up to 10 cm (4 inches) across.
• Branches can be up to 1 m (4 feet) long.
• Keep each bundle under 22 kg (48 lb).
• Put out no more than 10 bundles or bins.

Brush never goes in paper or plastic bags. Hedge and shrub cuttings count as brush, as long as the root balls are gone.

Where can you drop off leaves for free in Sarnia?

Missed your week? Or have too many leaves to bag? Take them to the Sarnia Compost Site at 379 St. Andrew St. Drop-off of yard waste and brush is free for Sarnia and Bright's Grove residents. Bring ID to show you live in the city.

• Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Closed: weekends and holidays, including Thanksgiving (October 12) and Remembrance Day (November 11).
• Saturdays: Transco Waste and Recycling, 387 McGregor Side Road South, takes yard waste and brush for free with proof you live here.

At the Compost Site, keep leaves and brush in separate loads. Brush must be under 4 inches (10 cm) across. You can haul leaves in plastic bags, but you must empty them and take the bags home.

Can you skip the bags and mulch your leaves?

Often, yes. A mower can chop a light layer of leaves into small bits that fall into the grass. Thick, wet piles are a different story. Our guide to mulching leaves with a lawn mower explains when it works and when you should rake instead.

Keep mowing while the grass still grows. The average first fall frost at Sarnia Airport is October 19. Grass slows after that, but it doesn't stop all at once. Sarnia's Lot Maintenance By-law still applies in fall, so grass and weeds can't top 6 inches (about 15 cm). Our last mow of the season guide covers when to stop.

Pulling weeds as part of cleanup? Our partner crews don't spray, and we don't give chemical advice.

Can a crew handle your Sarnia fall cleanup?

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

Your crew can rake and bag leaves in paper bags for your zone's weeks. They can bundle hedge cuttings for brush week. They can handle the rest of a fall cleanup and keep up regular mowing until the grass stops. For big leaf years, ask your crew how they handle haul away.

We measure your yard from satellite images, so no one needs to visit. Your price depends on lawn size, leaf volume, beds, slopes, gates and haul away. It comes by text in 60 minutes. You keep the same crew every visit, with a photo after every cut. Book the season through the Worry-Free Lawn Season and your first cut is free. More local notes are on our Sarnia lawn care page.

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

Sarnia Leaf and Yard Waste Questions

Rules change, so check with the City before you plan. Sources: Yard waste collection, Collection schedule, Brush collection, Sarnia Compost Site, Waste Master Plan, Garbage collection, Lot Maintenance By-law, Sarnia climate normals.