Everything below comes from the City of Guelph's own yard waste page and leaves page, checked on September 30, 2026. Rules and dates change, so check the City's site or the Guelph Waste app before a big cleanup.
How curbside yard waste pickup works
In 2026 the City collects yard waste at the curb every other week on your grey cart (garbage) collection day. Collection started March 30 and runs from spring through fall.
The trucks don't always come at the same time as your garbage truck, so have yard waste at the curb by 6:30 a.m. on your grey cart day and leave it there until it's picked up.
Bags, containers and bundles
Paper yard waste bags only. The City won't collect yard waste in plastic bags.
Reusable containers are fine if they're clearly labelled "yard waste". You can pick up a yard waste sticker at 110 Dunlop Drive. Containers need two handles and a lid, must hold less than 100 litres, and must be 24 to 30 inches tall.
Branches and brush must be tied into bundles with string or twine (no plastic or metal), no bigger than 1 metre long by 0.6 metres wide. Branches must be under 5 cm (2 inches) across.
Weight: each bag, bundle or container has to be under 20 kg (44 lb).
Placement: within 0.3 metres (1 foot) of the curb, and 1 metre (3 feet) away from your waste carts.
What doesn't go in
Yard waste doesn't go in any of your carts, including the green cart. Keep grass clippings, leaves and branches out of the grey, green and blue carts.
Loose leaf collection
Guelph also runs a separate loose leaf collection in the fall, with a live map showing where the crews are. On September 30, 2026 the City's leaves page said the 2026 loose leaf collection dates were "coming soon". Check the City's leaves page for your street's dates once they're posted.
Dropping it off yourself
You can take yard waste and grass clippings to the City's Waste Resource Innovation Centre at 110 Dunlop Drive all year. There's a minimum fee of $10.
Or keep the leaves
The City actually encourages mulching leaves into the lawn. Mow over them so they're shredded into small pieces and they break down into the soil. A thin layer of mulched leaves feeds the lawn.
A thick layer of whole leaves is the opposite. Left on the lawn over the winter, it smothers the grass and is where the grey snow mould patches you see in April come from. If you have big maples, the leaves need to come off, not just get mowed once.
When a fall cleanup is worth it
If you've got a lot of trees, a steep yard, or you just don't want to spend two Saturdays raking and hauling 20 paper bags to the curb, a fall cleanup is usually one or two visits. We rake and blow the leaves out of the lawn and beds, do a final cut, and either haul it all away or bag it for the City pickup. More on our fall cleanups.
Last checked September 30, 2026.