Perrysburg sets Oct. 20 for 2025 leaf collection start

PERRYSBURG, Ohio — As temperatures fall and the official autumn season commences, residents across the region are starting to prepare for leaf pickup. While an ongoing drought has caused some leaves to drop earlier than normal, Perrysburg city officials confirmed the dry conditions will not accelerate the community’s annual leaf collection schedule.

The city’s 2025 Fall Leaf Collection is scheduled to begin on Monday, Oct. 20, and will continue through Monday, Dec. 1.

Rob Ross, Perrysburg’s director of public services, said crews will adhere to the official timeline, noting that the early leaf drop is typical for the season.

“We’re seeing a little bit of drop, which is typical this time of the year, and people rake their leaves to the curb and leave them there, but no, we’re not adjusting based on this year’s drought weather,” explained Ross.

Ross added that the dry weather has made the fallen leaves “very dry and they’re crumbling on their own.” He suggested that some residents can simplify their initial yard cleanup.

“If people run their mowers over them, they’ll break them up,” Ross said. “We don’t anticipate an increase in the amount of leaves. We anticipate them dropping all at one time.”

During the collection period, city crews will begin on the west side of Perrysburg and work their way east, making multiple passes through neighborhoods. The final sweep across the city will commence on Dec. 1, and any leaves placed at the curb after that time will not be picked up.

The leaf collection process is labor-intensive. Ross said that during the heaviest part of the season, the department deploys three, and sometimes four, crews, totaling up to 12 personnel per day.

“We average about 3,000 hours a year to pick up the leaves in our city, and we average about 10,000 yards that we’ll take to Renewed,” Ross said.

Despite the focus on leaf pickup, the same crews still manage other vital city services, including refuse collection and park maintenance.

“We still have a lot of traffic in our parks, so we’re cleaning up park trash and making sure our restrooms are clean. It’s the same crew doing those things.”

To ensure a safe and efficient collection process, the city reminds residents to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Rake leaves to the curb, on the lawn side of the sidewalk, but no further than six feet from the curb.

• Do not rake leaves into the street, as they can create dangerous conditions for drivers and obstruct storm drains.

• Do not bag leaves, as crews use trailer-mounted leaf vacuums for collection.

• Do not mix branches, grass clippings, or other debris with the leaf piles. Piles containing yard waste other than leaves will be left behind.

• Do not pile leaves near mailboxes, in alleys, or along the banks of ditches or creeks. Do not park vehicles in front of or on leaf piles.

For residents who wish to dispose of leaves outside of the city’s schedule, Renewed Outdoors offers year-round leaf and brush disposal for city residents at no additional cost. The City Yard Waste Program also allows for curbside collection of leaves placed in approved paper bags or green yard waste Toters with purchased disposal tags.

To track where Perrysburg city crews have been, residents can refer to the Leaf Collection Status Dashboard.

With drought conditions persistent across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, residents should not burn any leaves as fires would spread rapidly.