This story was adapted from a City of Concord news release.

As autumn leaves begin to fall across Concord, city residents will soon have an opportunity to get rid of them without the hassle of bagging them.

The City of Concord’s annual loose leaf collection season begins Monday, Oct. 26, allowing residents to place unbagged leaves along the curb for pickup by city crews using specialized leaf vacuum trucks.

The program will run through Feb. 11, 2027, with residents receiving three rounds of loose leaf collection based on their regular garbage collection day.

Residents must place their leaves at the curb by 6 a.m. on the first day of their assigned collection period to ensure pickup. City crews cannot return to collect leaves placed at the curb after they have already serviced a street.

Loose leaf collection schedule

Residents will receive three rounds of loose leaf collection between Oct. 26 and Feb. 11, with pickup dates determined by their regular garbage collection day.

The complete schedule is available at concordnc.gov/looseleaves, where residents can view or download the calendar to find their assigned collection periods.

Loose leaf collection schedule. Screenshot via City of Concord.

City crews generally operate Monday through Thursday, although some Friday collections are scheduled to accommodate holidays. The schedule is subject to change because of weather delays or equipment breakdowns.

Once the season begins, residents can also use the city’s online collection tracker to follow the progress of crews in their neighborhoods.

Guidelines for leaf collection

To help crews collect leaves safely and efficiently, the city is reminding residents to follow several guidelines:

Place loose leaves at the curb no later than 6 a.m. on the first day of the assigned collection week.
Keep leaves free of tree limbs, shrub branches and other debris that could damage collection equipment.
Avoid placing leaves near storm drains, mailboxes or parked vehicles.
Keep leaf piles accessible to collection crews.

Residents who prefer not to wait for their scheduled loose leaf pickup can continue placing leaves in paper yard waste bags or labeled personal yard waste containers.

Those leaves will be collected weekly on residents’ regular yard waste collection day.

Second Chance Program returns

For residents who miss their final scheduled collection, Concord will again offer its Second Chance Program.

The program allows residents to request an additional loose leaf pickup rather than having to bag their remaining leaves.

For a $75 fee, the city will schedule a special collection during the weeks of Feb. 15-25, 2027.

The service provides an additional opportunity for residents to dispose of leaves after the regular collection season ends.

For more information, including collection schedules and neighborhood pickup updates, visit concordnc.gov/looseleaves or contact the city’s Customer Care Center at 704-920-5555.

The Cabarrus Compass

Concord's annual loose leaf collection begins…