As the temperatures drop, so do the leaves. Time to "Recycle the Fall."

When you rake leaves this fall, think about turning them into valuable organic materials like compost instead of trash. Recycle the Fall is a citywide, curbside collection program that runs from October 29 through November 30. Leaves, grass clippings, flowers, and other garden wastes can all become organic materials instead of trash. When you participate in Recycle the Fall, you help divert hundreds of garbage truckloads from the landfill.

Participation is easy and the Boise Public Works Department makes it a bargain when you use the postcard coupon sent to every Boise City household. Redeem the coupon at a participating retailer for a discount of $2.00 on every package of five paper leaf bags. You can purchase up to five packages with the coupon and save up to $10.

To help residents with leaf collection, The Boise Public Works Department has developed a few guidelines for the program. These guidelines are designed to make leaf collection simple and efficient:

• Use large compostable paper leaf bags only. Leaf bags will not be returned. Leaves left in other containers such as plastic garbage bags, boxes, or garbage sacks will be sent to the landfill and will not be recycled.
• Leaf collection runs from October 29 - November 30. Leaves will be collected at any time between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. Set leaves out with trash and recyclable materials on your regular trash collection day. 
• Separate trucks will collect trash, recyclables, and leaves during the day so, for example, if your trash is collected but your leaves are not, it is because the leaf collection truck will pick them up at a different time.
• Thanksgiving week collection is adjusted so that Thursday trash, recycling, and leaves will be collected on Friday and Friday trash, recycling, and leaves will be collected on Saturday, November 24.
• All Ada County residents can deliver leaves and yard waste (no shrubs, brush, or tree limbs) free of charge to the Hidden Hollow landfill off Seaman's Gulch Road. Hidden Hollow will accept leaves from October 29 through December 15. Call 577-4725 or visit www.adaweb.net for hours and directions.
• Allied Waste will accept clean loads of leaves for free at the Transfer Station (near the airport) at 4485 S. Curtis Road. Leaves may be delivered to the Transfer Station on Monday, December 3 though Saturday, December 8. Call 685-7700 for visit www.bfiidaho.com for directions and hours of operation.

For more information, contact the Boise Public Works Department at 384-3901 or Allied Waste at 345-1265.

Source: CityofBoise.org