Leaf Pick-Up

The City of St. Joseph provides a curbside leaf removal program for its residents in the Spring and Fall. See our city calendar for identified collection dates. 

Residents may rake leaves into the street gutter avoiding placement on or near the city drain tops. Loose leaves can block the city sewer lines from working properly.  Please do not put bags of leaves, branches, twigs, grass clippings, rocks or other debris in the leaf pile.

Residents on Niles Avenue, Main Street and Lakeshore Drive should bag leaves in bio-degradable craft paper yard waste bags rather than placing them in the street gutter.  These residents are asked to contact Public Works at 269-983-6341 to arrange for a bagged leaf pick-up during our collection dates only.

Other residents who bag leaves are required to purchase and place a Best Way sticker on the bag. Bags should be set out on your regular garbage day for pick-up through the yard waste disposal program April – November annually. Best Way stickers are available for by calling Best Way at 269-463-3232 or at City Hall during normal business hours. 

Our Public Works Department uses several large pieces of equipment to remove the leaves from the street.  Please do not place other items (branches, trash, ornamental or lawn grass, flowers, weeds, plant clippings, roots, rocks, sod and any other yard waste) in the piles. These items can damage the equipment and cause delays for everyone using this service.  Piles containing these items will be left for clean-up by the property owner or tenant.

The Leaf Pick-up Program includes multiple passes around the City of St. Joseph to accommodate all of its residents. Residents are encouraged to dispose of leaves utilizing a yard waste container during non-collection days.