Where Do the Raked Leaves go in Montgomery County? A Leaf’s Tale.

Where Do the Raked Leaves go in Montgomery County? A Leaf’s Tale.

Every autumn, Montgomery County becomes a sea of red, orange, and brown as trees prepare for the chilly weather ahead. And every good neighbor brings out their rakes and leaves their leaf piles neaty on the edge of their yard. Thanks to MCDOT’s Leaf Vacuum Program, all raked leaves are collected and out of sight. But where do the leaves go?

Luckily for the leaves, they’ll find a new home at the Montgomery County Yard Trim Composting Facility (MCYTCF) in Dickerson, with a throughput capacity of 77,000 tons of material per year, the 118 acre composting plant collects yard trim year-round through Montgomery County’s curbside recycling program. From here, the debris is made into compost and packaged, ready to be sold.

By Amy Lusignan