In unique fall cleanup, Concord collected 850 tons of leaves so far

Erika Ackerman of Gelinas Excavation uses a front loader to pile leaves dumped by work crews from the City of Concord into a giant pile off of Fort Eddy Road in Concord on Monday. GEOFF FORESTER photos / Monitor staff
One of the three work crews picks up leaves around Concord, sweeping them into snowblower-like machine that throws them up into a dump truck.
Erika Ackerman of Gelanis Excavation uses a front loader to pile leaves dumped by work crews from the City of Concord into a giant pile off of Fort Eddy Road in Concord on Monday, November 15, 2021. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff
One of the three work crews picking up leaves around Concord sweep them into snowblower-like machine that throws them up into a city dump truck on Monday. GEOFF FORESTER / Monitor staff
One of the three work crews picking up leaves around Concord sweep them into snowblower-like machine that throws them up into a city dump truck on Monday, November 15, 2021. The leaves are then dumped into a pile at Gelanis Excavation off of Fort Eddy Road. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff
One of the three work crews picking up leaves around Concord sweep them into snowblower-like machine that throws them up into a city dump truck on Monday, November 15, 2021. The leaves are then dumped into a pile at Gelanis Excavation off of Fort Eddy Road. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

Monitor staff

Published: 11/19/2021 3:58:33 PM

General Services has collected more than 850 tons of leaves since bulk collection started at the beginning of November, which is almost the weight of 500 full-sized automobiles.

Starting Monday, the haul will get even heavier as the City of Concord begins collecting bagged leaves left along the curb.

Three road crews started collecting leaves this season at different areas of the city, scooping them up with machines. A searchable map on the city’s website shows which neighborhoods have been covered already.

Since the pandemic started, the city has changed how it gathers leaves. The old system, which used a vacuum pulled along the road to suck leaves up, was switched over to a loader that chews up the leaves and throws them into a truck, like a giant snow-thrower, to reduce the amount of contact and COVID transmission risk between workers.

To facilitate bulk pickup, General Services is asking residents to rake leaves into the street without placing them in piles or around mailboxes or fire hydrants. The department has also advised residents not to park on the street between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays so road crews can reach leaves.

For the next three weeks, crews will pick up bags of leaves in biodegradable yard waste bags or hard containers labeled for leaves. The city advises residents to place leaves on the curb by 7 a.m. for the next three Mondays to make sure leaves can be collected during the week, since leaf collection may not match trash days.

Bulk leaf collection will continue through December 10, depending on weather conditions. If it snows, bulk collection might be abandoned, but bagged leaves will still be retrieved.

Gelinas Excavation and Earth Materials Recycling Center at 10 Intervale Road will also accept leaves from Concord residents free of charge. The city recommends calling ahead to confirm Gelinas’ operating hours. Mulching leaves into a lawn or bringing them to a farm that accepts leaves are other options for leaf disposal.

More information, including maps and frequently asked questions, are available on the city website at concordnh.gov/leafcollection.

Support the Concord Monitor. Subscribe Today

Cassidy Jensen has been a reporter at the Monitor, covering the city of Concord and criminal justice, since July 2021. Previously, she was a fellow at the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University, where she earned a master's degree. Her work has been published in Documented, THE CITY, Washington City Paper and Street Sense Media. When she's not at City Council meetings, you can find her hiking in the White Mountains.