Brampton leaf pickup works two different ways, and which one you get depends on your street. The City of Brampton vacuums loose leaves raked to the curb on specific streets in downtown Brampton and the Churchville neighbourhood. Everywhere else in the city, leaves go out in Kraft paper bags on your Region of Peel yard waste day, which runs weekly through early December.
At a glance
City leaf vacuum zones:
specific streets in downtown Brampton and the residential area of Churchville
City program timing:
mid to late autumn 2026, with at least three rounds per area
Everyone else:
Region of Peel yard waste collection, weekly, in Kraft brown paper bags or labelled containers
Last yard waste pickup of 2026:
the week of December 7 to 11, on your regular collection day
Plastic bags:
never collected
Cost:
both programs are free at the curb
If you are also trying to work out which bin goes out this week, our guide to Brampton’s garbage and recycling schedule covers the two-week garbage cycle and the weekly organics pickup.
Table of Contents
Brampton leaf pickup: who gets the City’s vacuum service
The City of Brampton’s Fall Leaf Vacuum Program collects leaves from specific streets in downtown Brampton and in the residential area of the Churchville neighbourhood. The City says those areas have aged infrastructure, a significant tree canopy, and sit inside the local Conservation Authority’s designated flood plain, which puts them at higher risk of flooding. Loose leaves washing into storm drains make that worse.
The City lists each included street on its Leaf Vacuum Program map. Two details catch people out:
- Private streets and condominium roads inside a leaf collection zone do not receive the service.
- The rest of Brampton is served by the Region of Peel’s waste collection program, not by the vacuum trucks.
Before crews clean a street, the City delivers notices to residents in the program area. Work crews then use leaf vacuum vehicles to collect the leaves residents have raked to the curb. The City runs the program with the Region of Peel, which composts the collected leaves at its composting facility.
Brampton leaf pickup dates for the vacuum zones
The City says the program is “anticipated to run from mid to late Autumn 2026,” and that the end date may be adjusted depending on the weather and the volume of falling leaves. There is no fixed published date for each street, which is why the City maintains a live Leaf Collection Status map showing each area as Not Started, Underway or Completed.
Two things to know about that map. Each area gets a minimum of three rounds, so a “completed” first pass does not mean the trucks are finished for the season. And updates to the tracker happen 24 to 48 hours after the work, so recent activity on your street may not show yet.
If your area is marked complete and your street was missed, the City asks you to contact 311. Our guide to reporting a problem through 311 walks through the service request options. You can also call 311, or 905-874-2000 from outside city limits.
How to rake for the vacuum trucks
The City’s instructions for downtown and Churchville residents are specific, and crews will skip a pile that breaks them:
- Rake leaves into a neat pile at the boulevard’s edge, or into your ditch, a day or two before your collection starts.
- Do not mix in wood, bricks or brush. Those items damage the equipment and injure workers.
- Do not pile raked leaves on the sidewalk.
- Keep the road and the curbside storm drains clear of raked leaves.
- Do not put garbage bags or bins on top of a loose-leaf pile.
- Move parked cars and sports equipment off the road before your collection date.
Everywhere else: Peel yard waste collection
If you are not on a vacuum street, your leaves go out with your Region of Peel yard waste collection. Yard waste is picked up weekly in the fall, on the same day as your organics, and the trucks run any time between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Put your yard waste at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day.
Yard waste uses a different vehicle from garbage and organics, so it can arrive hours after the other trucks. A late afternoon pickup is normal and is not a missed collection.
What counts as yard waste
Peel Region lists these as acceptable yard waste:
- Leaves and yard rakings with debris
- Tree trimmings and branches
- Brush and hedge trimmings
- Household and garden plants
- Halloween pumpkins, with the candle removed
That last one matters in the first week of November. Once Halloween is over, your jack-o’-lantern goes out with the yard waste rather than the garbage. Collectors may open and check yard waste bags to confirm only acceptable items are inside.
Bags and containers: the exact limits
Peel lists bag and container problems among the common reasons yard waste gets left behind. The Region collects yard waste only in Kraft brown paper bags, or in a clearly marked container.
| Container | Limits |
|---|---|
| Kraft brown paper bag | Under 20 kg (44 lb) when full, room at the top to close it, smaller than 66 cm (26 in) wide and 90 cm (35 in) high |
| Bin or container | Under 20 kg (44 lb) when full, rigid handles, under 60 cm (24 in) wide and 95 cm (38 in) high, maximum 125 L (27.5 gallons), labelled “yard waste” |
| Single branch or limb | Shorter than 1.2 m (4 ft) and narrower than 10 cm (4 in) |
| Bundle of brush | Tied with string or twine, shorter than 1.2 m (4 ft), under 76 cm (30 in) in diameter, under 20 kg (44 lb) |
| Plastic bag | Not collected, ever |
Your blue, grey and green bins are not acceptable yard waste containers. To label a container properly you can get a free yard waste sticker at any Peel Community Recycling Centre, at Access Peel (10 Peel Centre Drive in Brampton or 7120 Hurontario Street in Mississauga, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or by calling 905-791-9499.
The last pickup of the year
Yard waste collection stops for the winter in December. On Peel’s own collection calendar, Brampton addresses we checked show their final 2026 yard waste pickup in the week of December 7 to 11, on each address’s regular collection day. Wednesday routes end on December 9 and Thursday routes on December 10.
Garbage and organics continue through the winter. Yard waste does not, so anything still bagged after your last December pickup has to wait for spring collection or go to a Community Recycling Centre. Check your own date on Peel’s collection calendar, which also lets you sign up for free reminders by text, email or phone.
If you have more leaves than the curb can take
Peel’s Community Recycling Centres accept yard waste, with fees. Two are in Brampton:
- Brampton CRC, 395 Chrysler Drive
- Heart Lake CRC, 420 Railside Drive
Chargeable loads carry a minimum fee of $7, and anything over that $7 load is charged at 14.5 cents per kilogram. The CRCs take debit, VISA and MasterCard, and do not accept cash. Free yard waste drop-off up to 150 kg applies only at the Caledon CRC on Quarry Drive, so a Brampton resident hauling bags to Chrysler Drive should expect to pay.
One restriction applies region-wide. Peel prohibits all residents from moving or transporting ash trees and ash tree wood, to slow the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer. If you are taking down an ash tree, that wood cannot travel.
What this means for you
Brampton leaf pickup comes down to one question: which system your street is in. Work that out before you start raking. If you live on a downtown or Churchville street in the program area, you will get a notice, and raking to the boulevard’s edge is the right move. If you live anywhere else in Brampton, there is no truck coming for a loose pile, the City asks residents to keep roads and storm drains clear, and the leaves need to go into Kraft bags on your weekly yard waste day.
Then count your weeks. A Brampton address on a Wednesday route has eight yard waste collections left between October 21 and December 9. Bagging two or three at a time across those weeks beats a December scramble.
Peel also makes a case for raking less. The Region suggests leaving some fallen leaves, plant stems and small brush in your yard over winter, because they shelter bees, butterflies and other pollinators. In spring, it suggests waiting to clean up until temperatures are consistently 15 °C or warmer, so hibernating insects have time to emerge.
What happens next
The bagged side of Brampton leaf pickup is changing hands. City Council has received an implementation plan to move garbage, organics and yard waste collection from the Region of Peel to the City of Brampton beginning October 1, 2027. Peel’s current collection contract runs to September 30, 2027, and recycling stays with Circular Materials either way. Until then, follow Peel’s schedules and guidelines, and watch for notice of any change.
In the meantime, winter service takes over. Our Brampton snow clearing guide covers what gets ploughed and when once the leaves are gone.
Frequently asked questions
Does the City of Brampton vacuum leaves on my street?
Only if you live on one of the specific streets in downtown Brampton or the residential area of Churchville that the City lists on its Leaf Vacuum Program map. Private streets and condominium roads inside those zones are excluded. Everywhere else in Brampton uses Peel’s bagged yard waste collection.
When is Brampton leaf pickup in my area?
If you are in a City vacuum zone, the program runs mid to late autumn 2026 with at least three rounds per area, and the City’s status map shows whether your area is not started, underway or completed. If you are on Peel yard waste, collection is weekly on your regular day, any time between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
When is the last yard waste pickup in Brampton in 2026?
Peel’s calendar shows the final yard waste collection of 2026 in the week of December 7 to 11, on your normal collection day. Check your address on Peel’s collection calendar to confirm your exact date.
Can I put leaves in plastic bags?
No. Peel collects yard waste only in Kraft brown paper bags or in a container clearly labelled “yard waste”. Plastic bags are left at the curb.
Is there a limit on how many yard waste bags I can put out?
Peel’s yard waste pages set limits on the weight and size of each bag, bin and bundle rather than a stated number of bags. Each one has to be under 20 kg. If you have a large volume, check with Peel at 905-791-9499 before collection day.
Can I put my Halloween pumpkin in the yard waste?
Yes. Peel lists Halloween pumpkins as acceptable yard waste, with the candle removed.
What do I do if my yard waste was not collected?
Check the usual causes first: plastic bags, the wrong collection week, an over-length branch, a loose brush pile, a container over 20 kg, or unacceptable items mixed in. Yard waste trucks can also run as late as 8 p.m. If none of those apply, report it to Peel Region using its report form.
What about leaves in Mississauga?
Mississauga is served by the same Region of Peel waste collection program, with the same bag rules and weekly fall yard waste pickup. Our Mississauga leaf pickup guide has the dates for that city. Our Mississauga collection schedule guide covers the dates there.
Related on Brampton Brief
- Brampton garbage collection schedule: what goes out when
- Brampton 311: how to report a problem
- Brampton snow clearing guide
Sources
- City of Brampton, Leaf Vacuum Program
- Region of Peel, Yard waste
- Region of Peel, Acceptable yard waste items
- Region of Peel, Setting out yard waste
- Region of Peel, Missed yard waste pickup
- Region of Peel, Collection calendar
- Region of Peel, Community Recycling Centre locations
- Region of Peel, CRC disposal fees
- City of Brampton, Preparing for transition of waste collection services in 2027
How we reported this: Brampton Brief checked every date, rule and measurement in this article against the City of Brampton’s Leaf Vacuum Program page, the Region of Peel’s yard waste, collection calendar and Community Recycling Centre pages, and the City’s 2027 waste transition update on October 20, 2026. Collection dates were confirmed by looking up Brampton addresses on Peel’s own collection calendar. We’ll update it if the City or the Region changes anything. Spot an error? Email hello@bramptonbrief.com with “Correction” in the subject.