Why it's confusing. In Montreal, fall leaves count as green waste, along with grass clippings and garden waste. But green waste collection isn't organized the same way everywhere: each borough sets its own dates, and some follow a completely different rule.
Two main models. In most boroughs, green waste is picked up only part of the year, generally from spring to fall. In five boroughs — Lachine, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève, Pierrefonds-Roxboro and Saint-Laurent — it is merged with the organic materials collection, which runs all year.
A concrete example. Ville-Marie has posted its fall 2026 leaf collection dates (in French): September 16 and 30, October 7, 14, 21 and 28, then November 4, 11 and 18. Bags go out at the curb between 7 p.m. the night before and 7 a.m. on collection day. Those dates apply to Ville-Marie only: a neighbour in another borough will have a different calendar.
Finding your schedule. The easiest way is to enter your address in Info-Collectes, the City tool that shows each collection day for your home. You can also call 311.
What to use. Accepted containers are compostable paper bags, cardboard boxes and reusable rigid containers. Don't use the bins the City provides for your leaves, and skip plastic bags: they aren't an accepted container. Branches thicker than 5 cm go to the ecocentre.
If you miss the last pickup. The City lists four options: add the leaves to your backyard compost, keep them on your property until the next collection period, take them to an ecocentre during the season it accepts them, or, as a last resort, put them out with the garbage. In that case, they won't be composted.
Good to know for newcomers. If you rent in a plex, ask your landlord who handles the leaves on the property: it isn't always spelled out in the lease. And if your borough has just changed how often garbage is collected, check Info-Collectes for both: the days aren't necessarily the same.
