Fall is in full swing and so is Oak Park’s fall leaf collection effort. The 2026 collection schedule began Oct. 26 and will go through Dec. 18, expanding to eight weeks from the six offered in 2025.
In 2024, the village ended the practice of residents raking leaves into the street citing safety and sustainability as main drivers behind the change. The village now recommends multiple different options for what to do with leaves.
Residents can gather their leaves into yard waste bags or rigid containers and place them in the parkway, as close to the curbs as possible, for the village’s waste hauler Lakeshore Recycling Systems to collect and take to a compost facility. The filled bags should weigh less than 50 pounds. The village published the 2026 leaf collection map and schedule for each area of Oak Park.
Residents can put out an unlimited number of bags or bins on their designated collection days, and green yard waste stickers are not required. There are free paper collection bags available at Village Hall, 123 Madison St., and the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., during regular business hours Monday through Friday.
The village suggests neighborhoods can make leaf collection more fun through a block party. The village allows each block to host a block party on weekends in November and December during the program, and the village can provide supplies upon request.
Residents who need physical assistance raking and bagging their leaves can contact NeighborConnect@oak-park.us for more information. People can sign up to volunteer to help rake leaves throughout the community through the village’s Better Impact Volunteer Portal.
There is also a Fall Leaf Collection Assistance Program for “property owners who meet low-income limit requirements and have a documented medically diagnosed disability that prevents them from collecting fallen leaves,” according to the village website. A third-party contractor would collect and remove fallen leaves on two set dates in the middle and end of the program. The application can be found on the village website, or residents can contact Public Works for more information.
Residents who participate in the CompostAble program are encouraged to put their leaves in their organics cart. Another option for composting is to run a mulching mower over the leaves and leave them in the yard to further decompose and fertilize.
The village’s top recommendation for sustainability is to just leave the leaves which aligns with the Climate Ready Oak Park Plan. Residents can rake leaves into garden beds or leave them on the lawn to promote soil health.
“This option offers an opportunity to support regional biodiversity and save money on fertilizer by allowing leaf litter to decompose naturally,” said the village website.
Residents cannot put leaves in the street, and if one does, village staff may provide educational materials and supplies to encourage compliance. If leaf piles remain after engagement efforts by the village staff, a citation could be issued.
Commercial properties and multi-family buildings with six or more units are responsible for their own leaf collection and disposal.