Find out when street pick-up starts in your Sacramento neighborhood
The Claw is already back in action around the city of Sacramento, and will be through Jan. 29. Courtesy City of Sacramento
The Claw is back!
It’s leaf season in Sacramento, which means the return of the Claw – probably the most beloved piece of heavy equipment in the city.
Now through Jan. 29, the Claw – Sacramento’s specialized articulated tractor – will be scooping up leaf piles on city streets. Pick-ups officially started Wednesday.
On average, each household will get about seven visits from the Claw, estimate city officials. Residents can find out when the Claw will be in their neighborhood with the Claw calendar, available on Sacramento’s official Leaf Season webpage, www.SacLeafSmart.org. Just put in your street address and the online calendar will tell you when to expect the Claw in your neighborhood.
In all, the Claw crews expect to pick up about 20,000 tons of green waste this season. Besides leaves, branches and other pruning debris are also accepted. (No tree stumps allowed.)
Although organic food waste (along with leaves and yard debris) now goes in the green-waste container, don’t dump food waste or paper into leaf piles. The Claw won’t pick them up. Instead, put such organic waste in the green-waste container.
In fact, city officials prefer that residents put as much as they can into the green-waste container before putting piles in the street. Green-waste containers will be picked up 13 times before that Jan. 29 cutoff.
Here are more leaf season tips:
* Leaf piles can be no bigger than 4 by 4 by 9 feet (and just one per household). Make sure there is space between the pile and the curb so water can flow down the gutter. Also, place the pile at least 6 feet away from cars, boats, basketball hoops or other obstructions. The Claw needs room to maneuver.
* Don’t put plastic bags in street piles (including bags full of leaves).
* And don’t contaminate the leaf pile with trash or dog poop (a common problem).
For more information: SacLeafSmart.org.
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