Lots of leaves? Seattle Public Utilities allowing extra yard waste, no extra charge, again for November

| Safety | Utilities | West Seattle news

Two days until November, and two days until Seattle Public Utilities yard-waste customers can start setting out up to 10 extra bags every collection date this month. SPU sent the annual announcement today:

Seattle Public Utilities offers free extra yard-waste pickup for all household food and yard waste customers each week throughout November.

 
When customers keep leaves off streets and out of storm drains, it reduces ponding and flooding during fall storms. To support this, customers can put out up to 10 extra bags of leaves for free each collection day in November.

Customers should place extra leaves in:

-Paper or certified compostable lawn and leaf bags, or
-Personal reusable containers with lids.

Winter weather is here, and SPU encourages customers to take these additional steps to keep streets and drains clear, report problems, and stay informed:

-Report clogged drains through the Find It, Fix It app.
-For urgent drainage, wastewater, and drinking water issues, call SPU’s 24/7 Operations Response Center at 206-386-1800.
-Sign up for AlertSeattle, the city’s official emergency alert system.

Note that Find It, Fix It, is for NON-urgent issues, so if something is presenting an immediate life-safety hazard, call SPU’s 24/7 as listed, or even 911 if you can’t get through to a live person.

walkerws October 30, 2025 (1:51 pm)

Better to put the leaves on your lawn to ensure healthy soil and insect life! Leave the leaves!

WSB October 30, 2025 (2:03 pm)

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Yes, of course, if you have a lawn or otherwise open ground. (We leave ours on the “planting strips” along two of the streets we face, but the third side is mostly paved; but even the planting strips only go so far, and if the leaves are piled too high, spirited wind will blow them onto the street, and drain, and sidewalk.)
k October 30, 2025 (2:44 pm)

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But make sure your lawn is established first. I learned the hard way that using leaves to mulch the first year you plant new things just kills everything and then you have to replant.
- walkerws October 30, 2025 (3:42 pm)
  
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  Killing grass is a good thing.
  - K October 30, 2025 (4:40 pm)
    
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    No, a giant mud hole is not a good thing.
Joe Z October 30, 2025 (8:37 pm)

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Just don’t put the leaves near your vegetable garden unless you want a colony of a million slugs. I learned that the hard way!
Seattlecris October 31, 2025 (9:14 am)

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I thought so too until this fungus infected my cherry and apple trees.

Lauren October 30, 2025 (2:09 pm)

Yay leave the leaves, love seeing others saying this 🍁 If you’re worried about leaves smothering your lawn — speaking from experience, the grass comes back even better in the spring!

Curious October 30, 2025 (2:15 pm)

Is it only leaves or any yard waste for free pick up?

ChrisG October 30, 2025 (3:41 pm)

I cleaned up the drains and rake up all the leaves on my street via adopt the drain program.About 30+ gallons of leaves and I compost them in my garden.

onion October 30, 2025 (5:03 pm)

Shout-out to my neighbor Cindy for clearing leaves from the drains on all four corners of our intersection. Who are your neighborhood heroes?

Dysfunction October 30, 2025 (6:44 pm)

Killing grass is a good thing? Never have heard that before, but there’s a first for everything. Grass is better than dirt. And no, this isn’t the southwest where lots of people are opting for rocks because of lack of water. That isn’t a issue here

WSB October 30, 2025 (8:34 pm)

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Not even remotely a new idea. Google either grass monoculture or why grass is bad. Lawns are good if they’re not grass – here’s one brief local exploration of that
https://powerlines.seattle.gov/2021/12/08/eco-turf/
k October 30, 2025 (9:10 pm)

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We replaced most of our grass with other types of ground cover that help manage the moisture levels and drainage in our yard. There are lots of options other than grass and rocks. But regardless of what you plant, if you let it get covered with leaves the first winter, before it’s fully established, it will die and your whole yard will become a giant mud hole.