What you need to know:
- February's hard freeze triggered an early, heavier-than-normal yard waste season across the Orlando metro
- Orange County sees a 60% increase in yard waste volume during the six- to eight-week season
- Orlando collected nearly 300 extra tons of yard waste in March 2025 and deployed street sweepers 16 hours a day
- Leaves blown into streets clog storm drains, increase algae growth and accelerate lake aging
- Weekly pickup limits range from unlimited in Sanford to 10 items in Belle Isle
Central Florida’s annual live oak leaf drop is burying yard waste haulers across the metro, and this year’s season hit early and hard after February’s freeze killed vegetation that is now piling up at curbs alongside the normal spring shed.
Orange County typically sees a 60% jump in yard waste volume during leaf season, which runs six to eight weeks starting in March, according to Jamie Floer, a senior public relations specialist for the county. But this year is different.
“The hard freeze the area experienced in February seems to have caused an early start to the current yard waste season and, thus, more yard waste is being produced than typically expected at this time,” Floer said.
The numbers bear that out across the region. The City of Orlando collected 1,423 tons of yard waste in March 2025 and 1,477 tons in April, roughly 300 to 350 tons above its monthly average of about 1,125 tons, according to Andrea Otero, a public information manager for the city. Orange County is still assessing the current volume but confirmed the seasonal surge is underway.
Haulers maxed out
In Belle Isle, the strain is visible. Phil Price, the city’s public works director, told the City Council on March 3 that the city’s hauler, JJ’s Waste & Recycling, is overwhelmed.
“Everybody is inundated. JJ’s is inundated with them,” Price said. “I’ve been in contact with JJ’s a couple of times now over the last couple of weeks because there’s been a lot of going back and forth because they’re not getting there.”
JJ’s crews were still on the road at 6:05 p.m. the evening of the March 3 meeting, Price said. The family-owned hauler has served Belle Isle since October 2019.
Orange County’s haulers are also stretched. They’ve added vehicles and personnel and extended collection hours, Floer said, but federal Department of Transportation regulations limit how many hours drivers can work each day.
“If the crews run behind and don’t finish on a given day, please leave the yard waste curbside because they resume where they left off first-thing the next morning,” Floer said.
A patchwork of rules
How much yard waste a resident can set out each week depends entirely on where they live. Belle Isle allows 10 items — bags, bins or bundles in any combination. The City of Orlando caps it at four cubic yards under its “Think 4” framework. Unincorporated Orange County allows three cubic yards. Edgewood allows just two. Sanford, in Seminole County, has no limit at all.
At least one Belle Isle commissioner said they received “numerous calls of complaining because they wouldn’t take his twenty-six bags.”
The rules on bags also vary. In Belle Isle, plastic bags are not accepted for yard waste — leaves in black plastic bags count as regular trash, not yard waste, according to Price. Most other cities in the metro, including Orlando, don’t specify bag type. Orange County accepts plastic bags, but crews must open and empty them at the curb, slowing collection. Commissioner Holly Bobrowski pressed the point at the Belle Isle meeting.
“It drives me nuts to see how many people are still wasting money on Glad bags for their yard waste,” Bobrowski said.
| City | Weekly Limit | Plastic Bags? |
|---|---|---|
| Sanford Seminole | Unlimited | Yes |
| Winter Park Orange | No limit* | Yes |
| Seminole Co. unincorp. | 15 bags | Paper pref. |
| Altamonte Spgs. Seminole | 15 items | Yes |
| Casselberry Seminole | 15 bags | Verify |
| Winter Springs Seminole | 15 bags | Paper pref. |
| Ocoee Orange | 4 cu yd / 10 bags | Yes |
| Orlando Orange | 4 cu yd | Yes |
| Orange Co. unincorp. | 3 cu yd | Yes (de-bagged) |
| Edgewood Orange | 2 cu yd | Yes |
| Oviedo Seminole | 10–12 bags | Yes |
| Lake Mary Seminole | 10 bags / 4 cu yd | Yes |
| Belle Isle Orange | 10 items | No** |
Leaves in the street age Orlando’s lakes
The problem goes beyond clogged gutters. Leaves blown into streets wash into storm drains and, from there, into Central Florida’s lakes.
“Leaves that enter the water column increase the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water, which can increase algae growth or cause algal blooms,” Otero said.
Orlando deploys street sweepers 16 hours a day during leaf season and stations a dedicated team to clear storm drains across more than 900 miles of city streets and nearly 50,000 inlet structures, Otero said.
The city’s Stormwater Utility Code prohibits blowing lawn clippings, leaves and branches into the street, with fines up to $1,000 a day. A team of environmental specialists enforces the rule weekly during leaf season, Otero said. Belle Isle has a similar ordinance, but enforcement is a different story.
Price described a cycle: his public works crews tell residents to stop blowing leaves into the road, and the residents “look at them like they’re crazy.” When crews drive by, he said, residents blow leaves away from the street. When the truck passes, they blow them right back.
“It’s a vicious cycle,” Price said.
What residents should know
Live oaks are semi-evergreen trees that naturally shed their leaves in spring, not fall, as new growth pushes out old foliage. The drop typically runs from March through early May.
Residents across the metro should check their municipality’s specific rules on yard waste limits, accepted containers and pickup schedules, as they vary widely by jurisdiction. Orange County residents can find collection guidelines at ocfl.net or call the Solid Waste Hotline at 407-836-6601. City of Orlando residents can find information at orlando.gov.
For Belle Isle, yard waste pickup is Mondays. JJ’s collects trash Tuesdays, recycling Wednesdays and bulk items Fridays. Yard waste must be in paper bags or bins, with a 10-item weekly limit.