District Services
Leaf Collection & drop-Off
Several unincorporated areas of Lake County, Indiana lack local leaf collection services. To address this gap, we provide leaf vacuum trucks that collect leaves from these residents free of charge, The leaves are then transported to the District’s compost site in Gary, Indiana, and converted into certified compost, which we offer back to residents for free.
2026 Leaf Collection
⚠️We can not pick up storm debris, and leaf piles can not be placed on top of any other yard waste or materials. Piles will be skipped if leaves are not accessible.
⚠️Due factors such as construction as well as unpredictable weather, pickup days may vary without notice. To avoid being missed, we recommend having your leaves raked and ready at all times.
⚠️Due to the size of our serviced area, we cannot guarantee that all of your leaves will be picked up. Residents may take bagged leaves to one of our four leaf drop off locations around the county.
Leaf Collection Zone Information
Weeks of 11/2, 11/16, 11/30
Monday-Area 1
Schererville Heights
- Schererville town limits-North
- W 93rd Ave-South
- Cline Ave-West
- Burr Street-East
Tuesday-Area 2
West Calumet Twp-W of Whitcomb
- Ridge Road-North
- W 53rd Ave-South
- Colfax St-West
- Whitcomb St-East
Wednesday-Area 3
West St. John Twp-St. John & Dyer
- W 77th Ave-North
- W 119th Ave-South
- State Line-West
- US41-East
Collection areas include the following subdivisions and Main Roads adjacent to:
- Longwood off of W 81st/Calumet
- Reeds off of W 81st/Catalpa St/Columbia Ave
- W 91st Ave/Robinson/Moraine St/State Line
- Trails Bends Estates off of W 93rd/Beall
- Lorwood Estates off of W 91st/Oakdale St
- Carlyle Acres off of W 85th/Jacobsons
- Marydale off of W 85th/Christopher
- Olde Hickory Estates off of Henry St/W 86th
- W 77th/Ruth/Jay/Joyce St
- W 77th/Ruth/Jay/Joyce St
- Ahlborn Scenic off of US41 & W 80th Ct
- Arrowhead Heights off of W 199th Ave/Hawthorne St
- Hanover Oaks off of W 117th Ave/Hawthorne St
- Palmira off of W 117th Ave/Belmont PI
- Armbruster Woodland Acres off of W 113th Ave/Parrish Ave
Thursday-Area 4
West Center Township
*Leaves will not be collected on Thanksgiving Day. Area 4 will be collected on Friday 11/28 instead.
- W 113th/Fathke-North
- W 120th-South
- Cline Ave-West
- Whitcomb St-East
Collection areas include the following subdivisions and Main Road adjacent to
- Pine Ridge Lakes off of W 117th/Edison
- Woodland Estates off of W 118th/Lee St
- Beaver Dam off of W 117th/Stevensons
- Fathke/Burr St/W 115th-Bridge Road
- Westwood Estates off of W 113th Ave/West Valley
- Oak Hill Estates off of W 113th Ave/West Valley
- Oakwood Hills off of W 113th/Durbin PI
- Wognum Estates off of 231/Whitcomb St
Weeks of 11/9, 11/23, 12/7
Monday-Area 5
Lake Dalecarlia
- 153rd Ave-North
- W. Main Street-South
- Colfax Street-West
- Clark Street-East
Collection Areas
Collection areas include the following subdivisions and Main Roads adjacent to
- Lake Dalecarlia off of W 153rd/Colfax
- Westdale Estates off of W 159th/Stevenson
Tuesday-Area 6
Middle Center Township
- West 101st Ave-North
- West 125th Ave-South
- Fathke Rd/Burr St/Bell St-West
- Hendricks-East
Collection Areas
Collection areas include the following subdivisions and Main Roads adjacent to
- Sleepy Hollow off of Burr St/W 122nd
- Buck Hill Estates off of W 121 Ave/Clark St
- Hermits Lake off of W 121st Ave/White Oak
- Woody Creek off of W 121st Ave/Mount St
- Green Acres Estates off of 231/Bell Street
- West Long off of 231/Hendricks
- Green Hill Ranches off of 231/Porter
- Oak Heights off of Lane St/Baker St
- Willowdale Manor off of W Summit St/W 105th
Wednesday-Area 7
East Center Township
- West 124th PI-North
- West 133rd Ave-South
- Jennings-West
- Van Burren PI-East
Collection Areas
Collection areas include the following subdivisions and Main Roads adjacent to
- Holiday Creek off of 55-Indiana/W 124th
- Wingate off of 55-Indiana/W 129th
- Schulien’s Wild Woods off of 55-Indiana/Greenview
- Oakwood Acres off of W 133st/Jennings
- Taney off of Chase/Marshall/W 130th
Thursday-Area 8
East Calumet Twp-East of Whitcomb & Hobart Twp
East Township
- Ridge Road-North
- 53rd Ave-South
- Whitcomb-West
- Harrison St/Grant St-East
Guidelines for Curbside Leaf Collection
- Avoid putting leaf piles around obstacles such as vehicles, mailboxes, power lines, guide wires, utility poles and sign posts. Leaf piles will not be collected until relocated.
- Cul-de-sacs will not be serviced where cars are parked and blocking access.
- Avoid placing leaf piles at least 30 feet from major intersections.
- Avoid putting leaf piles in a ditch or on a curb with running or standing water.
- Place leaf piles along the curb within three (3) feet of the street (do not place leaves in the street) and keep piles short in length.
- Leaf piles must be free of branches, grass clippings, garbage, rocks, or any other foreign objects or chemicals. NO STORM DEBRIS
- Make piles high rather than long whenever possible.
- Residents should note that all areas are scheduled for pickup once every other week (for a total of 3 pickups).
2026 Fall Leaf Drop-Off
Lake County residents may bring leaves to one of our four drop-off locations as part of our Leaf Drop-Off program. The 2026 Fall program begins on October 26th and runs through December 4th.
Leaf Dropoff Guidelines:
- No plastic bags! Material must be placed in brown biodegradable yard waste bags.
- Material accepted for this program is limited to leaves and twigs.
- Twigs should not exceed 3 inches in diameter by 3 feet in length.
- Residents are responsible for the purchase of their own biodegradable yard waste bags.
- This program is not available to businesses, schools, or organizations.
Leaf Drop-Off Locations:
- Calumet Township Multi-Purpose Center
1900 W. 41st. Ave., Gary, IN - Lake County Fairgrounds
889 Court Street, Crown Point, IN
(enter through the main gate on Court street and head straight to the west end of the fairgrounds) - Lake County Solid Waste Management District
8695 Broadway Ave, Merrillville, IN - St. John Township Community Center
1515 W. Lincoln Hwy, Schererville, IN
More District Services
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Miscellaneous Materials
Unsure what to do with it? Our item-by-item directory points you to the correct recycling or disposal route. -
Tire Recycling
Recycle tires safely and keep them out of landfills. Find nearby drop-off sites and monthly limits. -
Latex Paint Recycling
Latex Paint is not accepted at our HHW collections. Learn about our stand-alone recycling events and see quick disposal guidelines. -
Computer Component and TV Recycling
Recycle TVs, computers, and more the right way. See where to bring electronics across Lake County. -
Compost
We offer every Lake County household an allotment of compost at no cost. Learn how to get yours! -
Appliance Recycling
Ready to retire a fridge, microwave, or washer? Find drop-off locations and accepted appliances. -
Household Hazardous Waste
Not everything belongs in the trash! Find our HHW event schedule and the list of items we take.