Prepare your yard for fall and protect storm drains

Prepare your yard for fall and protect storm drains

Published on November 05, 2025

Fall has officially arrived, bringing with it a mix of storms, winds and sunshine. Unpredictable weather may be in the forecast, but residents don't have to wrestle with what to do with their yard waste.

With cooler temperatures inevitably upon us, leaves will need to be raked and branches trimmed - all of which can easily be placed out weekly for curbside collection.

Why it matters: In Fort Worth, all yard waste collected is processed into valuable natural resources such as mulch. Instead of trashing leaves and trimmings, residents are making major impacts on the environment by acting sustainably, protecting resources and biospheres and conserving landfill space.

What you should do: Disposing of your fallen leaves and yard trimmings does not have to be a chore. Fort Worth residents have several options to properly dispose of their yard waste.

• Leave it on the lawn. Blow or sweep fallen leaves back onto your lawn to use as a natural mulch or fertilizer.
• Compost it. Rake or blow leaves and grass clippings into your compost pile for use in garden beds and landscaping.
• Bag or bundle it. If you cannot mulch or compost your leaves, you can place them curbside for yard waste collection.
  • Bag it. Paper yard bags can be purchased at grocery stores, hardware and garden stores. These bags are for leaves, grass clippings and other small trimmings only.
  • Cart it. Green yard carts have a 96-gallon capacity and are available for a one-time $75 fee, which is a long-term cost savings over paper yard bags.
  • Bundle it. Use string or twine to bundle shrub and tree trimmings. Bundles should be no more than four feet long and weigh no more than 40 pounds.
  • Stack it. Individual tree and shrub limbs can be stacked at the curb but must be cut down to less than eight feet long and four inches in diameter. Make sure piles do not exceed 10 cubic yards.
• Drop it off. Leaves, branches and brush are accepted at all City Drop-Off Stations.

Gentle reminders

• Keep it off the street. Blowing leaves or grass clippings into the street is not only illegal, but it can also cause backups and floods when they enter the City's stormwater drain system. If it ends up in waterways, it can affect water quality and impact local wildlife.
• Don't burn it. Burning leaves is not allowed in most Fort Worth residential areas. The resulting smoke negatively affects the quality of air we breathe and can be a safety hazard, particularly in drier, windier weather.
• Separate it properly. Yard waste does not belong in the garbage or recycling cart. It fills landfill capacity and contaminates recyclable items.
• Keep it natural. Seasonal items such as hay bales and live Christmas trees are allowed as part of the weekly yard waste collections after decorations are removed.

Drink bottles, food bags, plastic landscaping bags or edging, metal yard dividers, tanglers like hoses or cables and old flower pots, are not accepted in your yard cart or bags. They contaminate the mulch that is created from the collection of yard trimmings. So when mowing, gardening or landscaping, keep your yard waste clean.

Learn more

• More information about yard waste collections.
• More information about stormwater quality.

Photo: Use paper bags for leaves, grass clippings and other small yard trimmings.

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• Environment