Hickory – On Monday, December 17, the City of Hickory Solid Waste Division resumed picking up leaves after a one-week delay due to Winter Storm Diego and residual snow covering the leaves at the curb. Crews are now working to finish the pickup in the Northeast quadrant, and will then move back into the Northwest A quadrant.

Please note that the leaf collection schedule has been pushed back one week due to the inclement winter weather. The revised leaf collection schedule is as follows:

Quadrant Dates:

Northwest A
December 24 – 28, 2018
Boundaries of Northwest A: City limits on the west, North Center Street on the east, north of Norfolk Southern Railroad and south of 12th Avenue NW (Geitner Road), 6th Street NW, and 16th Avenue NW.

Northwest B
December 31, 2018 – January 4, 2019
Boundaries of Northwest B: All of city limits north of 12th Avenue NW (Geitner Road), 6th Street NW, 16th Avenue NW, and west of North Center Street.

Southeast and Southwest
January 7 – January 11, 2019

Northeast
December 17 – 21, 2018, January 14 – February 1, 2019
Throughout the leaf season, please remember the following tips to make leaf collection run smoother throughout the City of Hickory:

Rake all leaves to the curb by the quadrant’s first collection day. Trucks begin pickup in various areas of the quadrant to ensure efficient service. If leaves are placed to the curb after the first day, there is a risk that the leaves will not be collected during the scheduled time.

Keep leaves away from storm drains and out of the street to help prevent flooding and accidents during rain/snow/ice events.

Never park your vehicle on a leaf pile. A hot exhaust system could catch the leaves on fire.

Do not mix leaves with junk, trash, rocks, or brush (sticks), as this will damage equipment, delay collection, and potentially cause injury. Mixed piles may be deemed as contaminated and result in a specialized pickup and associated fees.

Leaves in clear plastic bags, or leaves in an easily handled open container, like a 32-gallon container marked Yard Waste, are collected weekly on your regular garbage day.

Please remember bagged leaves and yard waste must be placed in clear plastic bags so crews can distinguish it from junk.

Most importantly, please use extreme caution when operating motor vehicles in the vicinity of leaf collection crews. The safety of both residents and the leaf crews depend on it.

Citizens are reminded that the City collects leaves and yard waste year round, if the material is placed in clear plastic bags or 32-gallon containers marked Yard Waste. These materials are collected on the citizens’ regularly scheduled garbage collection day.

For questions regarding leaf collection in the City of Hickory, call (828) 323-7500.