Denver encourages residents to drop off leaves, jack o'lanterns instead of throwing them away

This year, instead of throwing out those leaves after a fall afternoon of raking your yard, drop them off for Denver's LeafDrop program. 

Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is kicking off its annual LeafDrop program. 

There are several places around the Denver metro area available to drop off leaves and pumpkins. The leaves must be bagged. 

The locations and times include:

• Cherry Creek Transfer Station – 7301 E. Jewell Ave. (enter on E. Jewell Ave.)*

• Havana Nursery – 10450 Smith Rd. (enter on Smith Road)

• Central Platte Campus – 1271 W. Bayaud Ave. (Enter through the gates at Bayaud and Navajo, go past the Denver Animal Shelter to dumpsters in front of Building 2 on the right.)

• These are all from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, until Nov. 21.

DOTI is also providing options for people to drop off leaves and pumpkins on Nov. 8 and 9. These are weekend dates. The locations include:

• Cherry Creek Transfer Station – 7301 E. Jewell Ave. (enter on E. Jewell Ave.)*

• Bruce Randolph High School – E. 40th Ave. and Steele St.

• Kennedy High School – Newland St. and Brown Pl.

• Sloan's Lake Northwest Parking Lot – W. Byron Pl. and Yates St.

• Veterans Park – S. Vine St. and E. Iowa Ave.

• These are all from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

As you are dropping off your bagged leaves, DOTI is asking you to:

• Refrain from including branches or other materials in your leaf bags. 

• Don't use twine or staples to secure paper leaf bags; just roll and crimp. 

• Never rake or blow leaves into the streets; they can clog our storm sewer inlets and street sweepers.

• If you are a current city compost customer, you can put leaves and pumpkins in your compost cart!

Compostable leaf bags are accepted in green compost carts during heavy yard waste seasons, including April through June and September through November.