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Leaf and yard waste pickup in Salem, MA

Paper yard-waste bags and an open barrel of raked maple leaves at the curb of a Salem, Massachusetts street lined with colonial houses

The 2026 dates and the rules

The 2026 city calendar lists curbside yard waste weeks of May 18, June 22, October 19, November 16 and December 7, on your trash day. As of Nov 6, 2026, the May, June and October weeks are past; the two left are Nov 16-20 and Dec 7-11. Thanksgiving falls on Nov 26, but that is not a yard waste week.

Yard waste includes leaves, grass clippings, woodchips and other easily raked material. Use paper yard waste bags or open barrels bought at local hardware stores and supermarkets. No plastic bags or cardboard boxes of any type. Sticks must be in four-foot lengths tied with string; stumps are not accepted. Keep yard waste out of your trash and recycling carts and apart from the trash. Checked November 2026.

The transfer station and what you miss

The station at 12 Swampscott Road takes yard waste Saturdays 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in season, with ID, no commercial vehicles. The open season is typically mid-April to mid-December; last season it closed after December 14, and the 2026 date is not posted, so call 978-619-5672 before a late run. Branches over two inches in diameter are not accepted.

If you miss a collection week, the city's pages do not describe a make-up pickup. Your options are the next scheduled week, the station on a weekend, or holding the bags dry in the garage.

When the yard is too big for bags

Two pickup weeks left can run out when a Salem yard has a row of mature maples. A full barrel of wet leaves is heavy, and a backyard cleanup with a downed limb or a pile of brush does not fit the bag-and-barrel rules.

JunkRun takes yard debris, brush and bagged leaves in a trailer load: a quarter trailer is $209, a half $319, a full trailer $519. Single bags or boxes are $11 each. We load from the yard or driveway and take limbs too long for a barrel. If you only have a few bags, wait for Nov 16 or Dec 7 and use the city's service; a trailer load makes sense for a large property or a post-storm cleanup.

Salem yard waste dates, fall 2026

  1. Oct 19-23

    Curbside yard waste week (past)

  2. Nov 16-20

    Curbside yard waste week, on your trash day

  3. Nov 26

    Thanksgiving; collections run one day late that week

  4. Dec 7-11

    Last curbside yard waste week of 2026

  5. Mid-December

    Swampscott Road transfer station closes for the season; call 978-619-5672 for the date

Local resources in Salem

Donation, reuse and recycling options near the pickup. We are not affiliated with these; confirm hours and what they accept before you go.

Quick answers

When is leaf pickup in Salem?

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The weeks of Nov 16 and Dec 7, 2026, on your regular trash day. The May, June and October weeks are over.

Can I use plastic bags for leaves in Salem?

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No. Salem requires paper yard waste bags or open barrels. Plastic bags and cardboard boxes are not accepted.

Where do I take leaves in Salem?

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The transfer station at 12 Swampscott Road, Saturdays 7-3 and Sundays 9-5 in season. Bring ID and no commercial vehicles.

Does Salem pick up branches?

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Sticks are collected cut to four-foot lengths and tied with string. Stumps are not accepted, and the transfer station does not take branches over two inches in diameter.

Sources

Rules, fees and hours change, so confirm with Salem before you go.

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