Raleigh council backs move from seasonal loose-leaf pickups to year-round weekly yard-waste service

Raleigh City Council on Tuesday approved staff recommendations to transition the city’s seasonal loose‑leaf collection to a year‑round weekly enhanced yard‑waste program, directing staff to begin implementation planning and equipment procurement.

City transportation staff told the council the current loose‑leaf program has become unsustainable and creates safety and drainage problems when leaves remain in piles for extended periods. The proposed enhanced program would collect one 95‑gallon cart and 15–20 biodegradable bags weekly, year round, and would allow residents to request a second cart for a small annual fee.

Steve Halsey, Department of Transportation, summarized the staff recommendation and timeline. "Our recommendation is to provide a year round weekly service to provide residents with a consistent, reliable, and predictable service that they are requesting," he said. Halsey said the change would require five additional solid‑waste trucks and roughly 15 additional full‑time crew members to operate weekly…