Fall cleanup in Alden: bulk pickup and leaf collection

ALDEN. The maples are turning, the rakes are out, and that old couch in the garage has waited long enough. Fall cleanup season is here, and both the Town and the Village of Alden have a large-item pickup at the end of the month. Here is what goes out, when, and what to do with all those leaves.

Large items: Town of Alden

Town bulk pickup is the week of Oct. 25, on your regular trash day. No sign-up is needed.

• Up to 10 items per unit. Set them curbside, within 2 feet of the road, by 6 a.m. on your trash day.
• Furniture, mattresses and appliances are fine, as long as two people can lift each piece.
• Carpet must be rolled in lengths of 4 feet or less, taped, and no wider than 18 inches.
• Refrigerators and freezers need a certified “Freon Removed” sticker, with the doors taken off.
• Anything with an engine, like a mower or trimmer, must be drained of oil and gas.
• Not accepted: electronics, TVs and computers, air conditioners, tires, construction debris, hazardous materials, or extra trash bags.

Town residents can recycle electronics at Town Hall, 3311 Wende Road, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon, with a limit of three TVs per address each year. Questions go to the Town of Alden at (716) 937-6969.

Large items: Village of Alden

Village bulk pickup is Monday, Oct. 26. Please don’t put items out until the evening before.

• Each household is limited to 1,000 pounds.
• Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers are taken only if tagged for refrigerant removal.
• Paint cans go only with the lids off and the contents dried solid.
• Keep empty propane cylinders in a separate pile.
• Not accepted: electronics, tires, toxic waste, yard waste or construction debris.

Village electronics go to the Public Works Garage on Railroad Street, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., by appointment. Call (716) 937-7392.

Leaves: Village of Alden

The Village Department of Public Works collects leaves through the fall as weather permits. It has not posted set start or end dates. Once leaf season begins, yard waste pickup moves from Mondays to a continuous rotation around the village, so crews will reach your street as they work through town.

• Rake leaves into a pile in a row at the curb, not in the street.
• Keep brush in its own pile. Chippable brush, up to 4 inches across, is picked up on the first Monday of the month, which this fall means Nov. 2 and Dec. 7. Lay it butt end toward the street.
• The Village will post the final collection date at the end of the season on its website and Facebook page.

Questions go to the Village DPW at (716) 937-7392 or the Village office at (716) 937-9216.

Leaves: Town of Alden

Yes, the Town Highway Department picks up leaves outside the village too, but they need to be bagged. The Town has not posted pickup dates.

• Set bagged leaves at the roadside. Any color or clear bags are fine.
• Keep the bags in a separate pile from brush.
• No grass clippings, dirt or other refuse.

For timing, call the Highway Department at (716) 937-7336.

Wherever you live

Erie County’s watershed program asks residents not to rake leaves into the street, storm drains or creeks, and not to burn them. Mulching leaves into the lawn with the mower, or adding them to a compost pile, returns nutrients to the soil and saves a trip to the curb.

Enjoy the color while it lasts, and happy raking.