Windsor Yard Waste Pickup: What Goes Out and When

Windsor picks up yard waste 13 times a year, not every week. Fall has four pickups from October to December, plus one in January. Your days have a paper bag symbol on your collection calendar. Use paper yard waste bags, 125 litre cans, cardboard boxes or a roll-out cart. No plastic bags. Keep each one under 20 kg (44 lb), and have it at the curb by 6 a.m.

How often does Windsor pick up yard waste?

Windsor doesn't run a weekly yard waste truck. The City sets 13 pickups across the whole year. Here's how they split up:

Season	Months	Pickups
Spring	April and May	4
Summer	June to September	4
Fall	October to December	4
Winter	January	1 (Christmas trees and leftover fall yard waste)

That's the big thing to plan around. Four fall pickups have to carry every leaf on your lot. Miss one and your bags sit for weeks.

The January pickup helps. It takes your tree and any yard waste left over from the fall. But wet bags sitting outside from November to January get soggy and fall apart.

How do you find your yard waste days?

Your dates depend on your zone. Look for the paper bag symbol on your calendar. The calendar runs from April 1 to March 31. Canada Post drops it off in the last three weeks of March.

Lost it? You have a few ways to get your dates:

• The City's Waste Collection Schedule Map tool. Click your zone to see your next pickups.
• A PDF calendar for your postal code on the City's collection schedule page.
• The Recycle Coach app.
• The 311 mobile app, or a call to 311.

Check now, while October is young. Mark all four fall dates on your fridge calendar or phone.

What time does yard waste go out in Windsor?

Have it at the curb by 6 a.m. on your pickup day. Don't put it out before 6 p.m. the night before.

The yard waste truck runs on its own schedule. It can come any time from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Garbage pickup ends at 5 p.m., so don't panic if your bags are still out at supper. Give it until 10 p.m. before you call 311.

Leaves go at the curb, even if your garbage goes out back. There's no alley pickup for yard waste. The City also asks you to share a spot with your next-door neighbour, away from parked cars. One pile for two houses saves the crew time.

Which bags and bins does Windsor take?

The City accepts four kinds of containers:

• Paper yard waste bags
• Garbage cans up to 125 litres
• Cardboard boxes
• Approved roll-out carts

Plastic bags won't be picked up. Not clear ones, not black ones. If you've already filled plastic bags, tip them into paper bags or a can before your day.

Every filled container has to weigh under 20 kg (44 lb). Herby Curby wheeled containers are the only exception. Wet leaves get heavy fast, so fill bags part way after a rainy week. Lift one before you add more. If it's a strain for you, it's over the limit.

Does Windsor take grass clippings in the fall?

Yes, but with rules. Grass clippings are not picked up from June to September. In spring and fall they are, if you follow three steps:

1. Let the clippings dry first.
2. Put them in a garbage can.
3. Never use a paper bag. The City says the wet grass rots the bottom out.

The easier way is to leave clippings on the lawn. The City calls it grasscycling, and it suggests it over setting clippings out. A mower with a mulching blade chops them small so they vanish fast.

How do you put out branches and hedge trimmings?

Fall is when lots of people cut back hedges and shrubs. Windsor takes the trimmings if you prep them right:

• Cut branches into 4-foot lengths.
• Keep each branch no thicker than 7.5 cm (3 inches).
• Tie bundles tight with string or twine. No wire.
• Put thorny branches in boxes, pails or yard waste bags.

Keep bundles light enough to lift. The 20 kg (44 lb) limit applies to them too. Stumps of any size go to the Public Drop Off Depot, not the curb.

Want help with the hedge itself? See our page on hedge and shrub trimming.

Can you rake leaves onto the road in Windsor?

No. The City says raking leaves onto the road is unlawful. It also makes the road dangerous. Bag them or use them in your yard instead.

Do you have to bag every leaf?

No, and with only four fall pickups, bagging less helps a lot. The City suggests these ideas:

• Mow them. Run the mower over light leaf cover. Mulched leaves feed the lawn.
• Shrink them. Mow or mulch leaves before you bag them. Three bags worth fits into one.
• Mulch beds. Spread leaves on gardens and around shrubs and trees for winter cover.
• Save some. Keep a few bags for your backyard composter next spring and summer.

Mowing works best on dry, light cover. A thick, wet mat is a different story. Our post on mulching leaves with a lawn mower explains when to mow and when to rake.

Spotting weeds or disease while you clean up? Our partner crews don't spray, and we don't give advice on weed killers or other chemicals.

Where can you drop off yard waste in Windsor?

The Public Drop Off Depot takes yard waste between pickups. The Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority runs it. For residents, tree trimmings, brush and leaves are free. There's no limit on trips or weight.

Dates	Hours
Until Saturday, November 28, 2026	Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sundays and most stat holidays	Closed (open on Remembrance Day)

Winter hours start after that. Last winter they were shorter: weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check the City's page before a late fall trip.

Two catches. Grass clippings cost a fee at the depot, even from your home. And loads in a rental truck or rental trailer pay the commercial rate. Use your own car or truck bed. Call the authority at 1-800-563-3377 with questions.

How should you plan a fall cleanup in Windsor?

Windsor's average first fall frost is October 30, by Environment and Climate Change Canada's long-term normals for the airport. Leaves keep falling well after that. Here's a simple plan:

1. Now: find your four fall dates on your calendar.
2. Before each pickup: mow light leaves into the lawn. Bag the rest the day before, so they stay dry.
3. Mid fall: trim hedges and bundle branches for the next pickup.
4. Before November 28: take any extra to the depot while long hours last.
5. January: use the last pickup for your tree and leftovers.

Keep the grass cut until it stops growing. Windsor's By-law 3-2006 says grass must stay at 31 cm (12 inches) or less. That includes the strip between your lot and the road. Our post on when grass stops growing helps you time the last cut. For a full list, see the fall lawn cleanup checklist.

Much of Essex County is flat, heavy clay with poor natural drainage, a federal soil survey says. Leaves left on soggy clay turn into a thick mat. Rake on dry days when you can. Our Windsor lawn care page has more on local soil and rules.

Can someone handle the leaves for you?

Yes. Four pickup days don't leave much room. A rainy week or a work trip can push your leaves to January.

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

Your crew can do a fall cleanup: leaves, sticks and debris cleared, plus a last cut. They can keep up your regular mowing until the grass stops, too. Ask how they handle haul away, since they're a business, not a resident.

We price every yard by its size from satellite images, so no one needs to visit. A cleanup price depends on lawn size, leaf volume, 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. Live nearby? We also cover London, Sarnia and other Ontario cities.

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

Windsor Yard Waste Questions

Rules change, so check with the City before you plan. Sources: Windsor yard waste, leaf collection, waste collection schedule, Public Drop Off Depot, By-law 3-2006, Windsor A climate normals, Essex County soil survey.