READING, Pa. – Starting Monday, Public Works crews will be out across Reading collecting piles of leaves from sidewalks and curbs.
“Our yards are too small to self-compost all the leaves, so we offer a collection program,” said Bethany Ayers, sustainability manager for the City of Reading.
It’s a full operation aimed at keeping storm drains clear and preventing flooding.
“When they’re on the sidewalks or in the streets, they can make it really slippery, especially when we’re getting rain like we’re expecting this weekend,” Ayers explained.
“They can also clog our storm drains, which can lead to surface flooding.”
Crews will be out from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, with three to four trucks making several passes through city neighborhoods.
“For the leaf pile collection, we ask that there’s no sticks, no plastic litter, and no grass clippings,” Ayers said.
The city is also reminding residents to use paper bags instead of plastic to prevent contamination.
“The sticks can damage the equipment, and the plastic pollution or litter can end up contaminating the compost,” she added.
Once collected, the leaves are reused, helping cover landfill areas and serving other environmental purposes.
“We are a city of trees,” Ayers said. “We’ve been an Arbor Day Tree City for about 40 years. It really helps with our air quality and controls the heat in the summer. But in the fall, we have a little bit of cleanup to do, and that’s okay.”