Yard Waste / Leaf Recycling Program

Fall Leaf Recycling Program Details

In an ongoing effort to reduce the volume of waste going into landfills, and to promote environmentally friendly recycling and waste practices, the City of North Canton's 2023 Fall Leaf Recycling Program will take place beginning October 23^rd, 2023 through December 1^st, 2023.

Biodegradable Paper Leaf Bags

All leaves must be placed in paper bags. Free paper bags may be picked up during store hours beginning October 7^th at Mohler True Value Home Center while supplies last. Simply take your North Canton Utility bill showing Kimble trash removal services to Mohler True Value Home Center, located at 4214 Portage Street NW, to receive up to 25 leaf bags FREE per customer through November 12^th. North Canton City trash removal customers may purchase additional bags as needed.

The first day of leaf pickup is October 23^rd. The last day of leaf pickup is December 1^st.

Please note: Biodegradable paper bags are the only container to be used for leaf pickup. Leaves in plastic bags will not be collected for recycling.

Program Eligibility and Limitations

This program is available to North Canton City (Kimble) Trash customers only.

Please leave only filled paper leaf bags at the curb for collection on your regular trash/recycling day. No other yard waste items will be accepted. All other recyclables should be placed in their proper container.

Contaminants to Avoid

NO PLASTIC BAGS!
No sticks, shrubs, or branches
No rocks, gravel, or dirt
No grass clippings
No twine, fencing, hoses, or chains

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Fall Leaf Recycling Program work?

Step 1: Get your paper bags. Biodegradable paper bags are the only permitted container to be used for the Fall Leaf Recycling Program. The City will partner with Mohler True Value Home Center to offer up to 25 free paper bags per City trash customer from October 7^th through November 12^th. To receive your free paper bags once they become available, you may take your North Canton utility bill showing Kimble trash removal services to Mohler True Value Home Center (4214 Portage St NW, North Canton, OH 44720) during regular store hours, while supplies last. City trash customers may purchase additional paper bags as needed.

Step 2: Fill your paper bags with leaves ONLY. Leaves are the only type of yard waste that will be accepted as part of the Fall Leaf Recycling Program. No other yard waste items will be accepted. All other recyclables should be disposed of via the proper container. Mixing other types of yard waste or other waste materials in with your leaves may cause your leaf bags not to be collected, as they will be considered contaminated and thus cannot be recycled properly. Yard waste contaminants to avoid include sticks, shrubs, branches, rocks, gravel, dirt, and grass clippings. Other common yard materials, including twine, fencing, hoses, and chains, should also be separated out to ensure your leaf bags can be collected for recycling.

Step 3: Place your filled leaf bags at the curb for collection on your regular trash/recycling day. Kimble will have a separate recycling truck(s) dedicated to collecting only leaf bags along regularly scheduled trash/recycling routes. In the event there is a delay in leaf bag pickup, Kimble will attempt to complete unfinished routes as soon as possible. If you have any questions about leaf bag pickup, please contact Kimble at 1-800-201-0005.

Can I place my leaves in plastic bags rather than paper bags?

You must use biodegradable paper bags in order to participate in the Fall Leaf Recycling Program. Kimble will collect the paper leaf bags separately for disposal into a designated location for decomposition, set apart from other recycling and trash materials. Though you can throw away leaves in plastic bags through your regular Kimble trash service, leaves in plastic bags will be collected as regular trash and cannot be recycled via the Fall Leaf Recycling Program, as plastic bags cannot decompose effectively.

Why can't I recycle other yard waste items in my paper bags through the Fall Leaf Recycling Program?

The Fall Leaf Recycling Program requires significant additional effort and resources from Kimble to collect even just leaves for separate recycling; accepting all yard waste would not be possible. Moreover, different types of yard waste can biodegrade at different rates under different conditions, making the decomposition process more difficult to manage if too many types of yard waste are grouped together. The EPA has also established different regulations for disposing of different types of waste, making the sorting of waste types essential to compliant disposal.

North Canton City trash customers are able to dispose of certain yard waste, such as grass clippings, year-round through their regular Kimble trash service. You may also schedule a bulk pickup with Kimble for larger yard waste items, such as branches or lumber in 4-foot sections in bundles 18 inches wide or less. Those with questions about acceptable options for certain yard waste disposal through Kimble may contact Kimble directly at 1-800-201-0005 for assistance.

The Fall Leaf Recycling Program has started, and I followed the steps listed above. Why have my leaf bags not been picked up yet?

Kimble could be experiencing a delay in leaf bag pickup in your area. If you encounter a delay in leaf bag pickup, we recommend that you leave your leaf bags at the curb to allow Kimble to pick them up at the next possible opportunity, weather permitting. Please be aware that extended exposure to rain can weaken or damage leaf bags that are left in the open.

Otherwise, your leaf bags may have been found to be too contaminated to be recycled through the program. Please ensure that your leaf bags do not contain excessive amounts of sticks, shrubs, branches, rocks, gravel, dirt, grass clippings, twine, fencing, hoses, chains, or other non-leaf materials that could prevent them from being properly recycled.

Is there anything else that I can do with all these leaves?

There is another environmentally friendly way to handle some of the leaves in your yard: mulch them and use them as a natural, eco-friendly fertilizer! According to the Stark Soil and Water Conservation District, leaves contain valuable nutrients and organic matter that can help to keep your yard healthy. In essence, leaf mulching is a form of recycling as well and by doing so, you are recycling the nutrients from your trees back into your yard, which can also cut down on the need for harsher chemical fertilizers that can harm the environment.

So how does it work? It’s simple: just run over your leaves with a mulching lawn mower and leave a thin layer of leaf mulch to biodegrade where it sits. Leaves can also help lessen the growth of weeds and act as a habitat for many different types of animals. They can even be used as insulation for perennial plants in your garden over the colder months, or to start your own compost pile at home.

Additional Program Questions

If you have questions or concerns about leaf bag pickup during the Fall Leaf Recycling Program, please contact Kimble at
1-800-201-0005 for the most direct assistance possible. Any further questions may be directed to the City's Utility Billing Department at 330-499-8223, option 2.

Thank You

The City would like to thank Mohler True Value Home Center for generously handling the distribution of free bags to our City residents once again during the 2023 Fall Leaf Recycling Program.

Raking or Blowing Leaves or Grass Clippings Into Street Prohibited

Raking or blowing leaves or grass clippings into the street is prohibited in North Canton, as it is in a majority of municipalities.

There are a number of reasons for this policy.

First and foremost, debris blown into the street is a major problem for storm sewer systems. Leaves and grass clippings clog both grates and pipes, contributing to back-ups and/or flooding. They accumulate in the pipes, not only contributing to reduction in flow but also ponding, giving mosquitoes breeding areas. Ultimately, if and when the leaves or grass clippings make it to the creeks, they reduce flow there as well as use up oxygen, which reduces the viability of aquatic life. This affect further reduces water quality and if the EPA placed more restrictions on Canton’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, this would potentially cost North Canton residents additional sanitary sewer costs.
Leaves in the street also are a safety problem, especially when wet. Cars can easily fail to stop, sliding on wet leaves. Frozen, they present a problem for both motorists and snow removal.
Leaves, once they are in the street, are no longer able to be recycled but must be transported to landfills.

For all the foregoing reasons, North Canton has a prohibition against raking or blowing leaves or grass clippings into the street. We request that all of our citizens comply.