Last updated or reviewed on June 2, 2022

Approximately 10,000 tons of brush and leaves are collected annually within the city limits.

The City of Asheville collects tree limbs, bagged leaves, and shrub trimmings separately from other garbage and bulky items. Brush should be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on Monday of your pickup week.

Tree limbs, brush, and shrub trimmings must be piled loose at the curb and must be free of other debris. Large volume brush piles, as well as brush and trimmings cut by contractors, are not picked up by the Sanitation Division.

To ensure that your brush is collected on schedule each week, remember these tips:

Please note that the City does not collect grass clippings (homeowners may compost or leave grass on their yards to fertilize the lawn) or garden waste, including vines and waste from flower or vegetable gardens.

Bagged leaves are collected twice a month throughout the entire year as part of the City’s bi-weekly brush collection. Place bags or containers at the street by 7 a.m. on Monday of your collection week. Any type of lawn or garden bag is fine to use. When the bags are emptied, they are left for you to reuse again. Here are a few guidelines to ensure that your bagged leaves are collected:

The burning of leaves is not permitted in the City and violators risk a fine from the Asheville Fire Marshal’s office. Fines can range between $250 to $500 or more, and violators may even be arrested. For more information on this, contact the Asheville Fire Marshal’s office at 828-259-5641. If violators are caught burning leaves, the Sanitation Division can issue a $50 fine in addition to any fines from the Fire Marshal’s office.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to dispose of loose leaves is to compost them. By running a mulching mower over the leaves, the leaves will compost directly into the lawn. Another way to compost leaves is by raking them into a compost pile. When spring arrives the leaves will have decomposed and will be a great soil additive for gardening.

The Buncombe County Landfill will also accept leaves for a fee. Call 828-250-5462 for more information.

Asheville residents can place Christmas trees at the curb for regular brush collection. Please remember to remove lights, ornaments, and stands from your tree.

Christmas trees can be dropped off for recycling at the following locations:

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