Instead of throwing away those dried leaves this fall, how about giving them a new life as fertilizer?

That suggestion comes from the City of Denver as it rolls out the free annual LeafDrop program Oct. 10.

Denverites can also bring pumpkins from the Halloween season as October turns into November. The only requirement is that residents bring leaves and pumpkins in recyclable paper bags. 

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“This is a program that encourages residents to give life to their dead leaves,” Vanessa Lacayo, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Transport and Infrastructure, said in an interview. “We will take any step we can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even if just a little bit.”

It is clear Denver residents want to do their part to address the climate crisis, Lacayo said. This program reduces the amount of organic matter going into the landfill, which produces greenhouse gases as it decays. 

LeafDrop gives Dendrites a way to grow their gardens sustainably and offers a way to capitalize on the certainty of raking, according to a news release. In the Spring, the city will sell the compost to residents as part of their mulch sale. 

“Everyone knows they have to rake come fall,” Lacoya said. “We try to bring composting full circle: Residents rake their leaves, a neighbor buys the compost to grow their garden the following year.” 

The program changed from previous years: Mapping. Residents can instantly get directions to the closest collection point by plugging in their address on the website. 

“In the past, this was just a standard map where you would see a little leaf at a drop site,” Lacayo said.

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The three weekday drop sites will be open from Oct. 10 to Dec. 2. The locations are the Cherry Creek Transfer Station, 7301 E. Jewell Ave.; the Havana Nursery, 10450 Smith Road and the Central Platte Campus, 1271 W. Bayaud Ave. 

Denver residents can drop leaves during weekends at Bruce Randolph High School, Cherry Creek Transfer Station, Kennedy High School, Sloan’s Lake Park and Veterans Park.

All locations are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The city gave residents some helpful tips for the program: 

• Do not include branches or other materials in leaf bags. 
• Only bring leaves to the drop-off sites during the posted hours. 
• Never rake or blow leaves into the street. 

Leaves dropped off at the seven locations outside of business hours is considered illegal dumping according to the city. 

Though Lacoya did not know the official start date of the LeafDrop, she told the Denver Gazette the city has been doing LeafDrop for at least the past two decades. 

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