The city sanitation department has already begun clearing leaves from public spaces, streets, and sidewalks. Every year, about 700–800 metric tons of fall leaves accumulate in Mainz. 

Residents’ Responsibilities

In addition, residents and property owners whose properties are not cleaned by the city’s sanitation department—and who are therefore not required to pay a fee—are obligated to keep sidewalks and streets safe for traffic. The key factor determining the obligation to clean and ensure traffic safety is where the leaves are located. This means that the entire length along the adjacent property—including all street-facing areas bordering the public right-of-way—must be cleaned. The area to be cleaned extends to the center of the street, including all sidewalks, bike paths, parking bays, and bus stops. The cleaning obligation must be fulfilled regularly, at least once a week before Sundays and holidays. Depending on weather conditions and the amount of fallen leaves, cleaning may be necessary more frequently to ensure safety on sidewalks and roadways. Otherwise, people who slip on leaves could file claims for damages.

Tips for Disposing of Fall Foliage

Sometimes the organic waste bin at your home isn’t large enough for the large amounts of leaves. In that case, you can take advantage of the free service offered by Kommunale Abfallwirtschaft Mainz und Mainz-Bingen AöR (KAW) to drop off leaves and green waste at Mainz’s recycling centers and waste disposal centers. The recycling centers accept up to 2 m³ of green waste/leafs from private households free of charge; at the waste disposal centers, up to 600 kg of green waste/leafs per day can also be dropped off free of charge. Alternatively, you can use the affordable municipal green waste bags. These durable paper bags, with a capacity of 70 liters, are available for 2.00 euros each at various retail locations, including the Mainz Environmental Store. The bags can then be conveniently placed next to the organic waste bin, and KAW will collect them during the next pickup. The retail locations can be found online on the KAW website (mz.kaw-mainz-bingen.de) or by calling the Waste Advisory Service at 12 34 56.

Last but not least: The leaf collection program is worthwhile, as the biomass collected in this way is used to generate energy and produce valuable compost.