Leaf pickup in Macomb County: when it ends in 2026, and the rules in every community

When does leaf pickup end in Macomb County in 2026?

Here is the fall 2026 end of curbside yard waste collection, the hauler and the leaf burning rule for every community, from each community’s website, ordinance code, 2026 collection calendar or hauler page. Where the community and its hauler publish different dates, both are shown.

Checked October 2026. Haulers change dates and several cities have extended past seasons, Warren most recently to December 12 in 2025, so confirm the final week with your community. Communities linked in the table have their own page with the bag, can and brush rules and the sources.

Six communities have no curbside yard waste season we could find published: Ray Township, Armada Township, Richmond Township and Lenox Township list trash and recycling only, Bruce Township residents hire their own hauler, and in Memphis only the burning rules could be confirmed. Ask the township or your hauler before setting leaves out.

How do I set leaves out for pickup?

The details vary, but the pattern is the same almost everywhere:

• Paper yard-waste bags, usually the 30-gallon brown kraft kind sold at hardware stores.
• Or your own can, typically 32 to 35 gallons, marked "Yard Waste" or "Compost" with a sticker or lettering. Several communities hand out the stickers free.
• Or a hauler cart. Priority Waste offers 95-gallon yard waste carts in communities such as Macomb Township, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township and Fraser, Shelby Township uses a brown yard waste cart, and Warren’s own sanitation division uses a blue 95-gallon cart with a brown lid.
• Weight limits of roughly 40 to 60 pounds per bag or can. Wet leaves get heavy fast, so do not pack a bag full after a rain.
• Never plastic. Leaves in plastic bags are treated as contaminated and left behind.
• Brush tied in bundles, usually no longer than 4 feet and no more than 50 pounds.

Set it out by the time your community says, usually the night before or early on pickup day, and at the curb rather than in the street.

Why can’t leaves go in the trash?

Michigan has banned yard clippings from landfills since 1995. Part 115 of the state’s environmental code bars delivering more than a minimal amount of yard waste to a landfill (MCL 324.11514), which is why every community collects it separately and composts it. EGLE’s guidance points homeowners toward composting or mulching leaves in place as the cheapest option of all.

Can I burn leaves in Macomb County?

In most of the county, no. State law bans open burning of leaves and yard waste in any municipality of 7,500 or more people unless a local ordinance specifically allows it (MCL 324.11539), and most larger cities and townships here ban it outright in their own codes. The exceptions are mostly in the north of the county: Washington Township, Chesterfield Township, Romeo, Bruce Township, Armada Township, New Haven, Memphis and Lenox Township allow it only with a permit, in set seasonal windows or under specific rules, and those rules change, so check before you light anything.

Can I rake leaves into the street?

Do not. Mount Clemens strictly prohibits raking leaves or grass into the street, and Center Line treats leaves left in the street as an ordinance violation. Everywhere else the problem is the same: leaves in the gutter wash into storm drains, which in Macomb County carry untreated water toward Lake St. Clair. The county Public Works Office asks residents to keep grass clippings and leaves out of drains because they clog them, feed algae and raise flooding risk. The two leaf vacuum programs we found, in the Village of Armada and Romeo, ask you to rake to the edge of the curb, not into the street.

What if I miss the last pickup?

Bagged leaves left at the curb after the season ends are not collected until spring, which is March 30 or the first week of April in most of the county. Your options:

• Mulch them into the lawn with a mower, if the layer is thin enough. See mulching leaves versus bagging them.
• Compost them in a back corner of the yard.
• Hold the bags somewhere dry until spring pickup starts.
• Use a drop-off, where one exists. Warren’s Recycling Center at 25801 Flanders takes compost all year.

Who can do this for me?

A fall cleanup crew can bag leaves for your pickup day, which is why the last pickup is the real deadline for booking one. See our fall cleanup service for what is included and how it is quoted.