Fall garage clear-out in Vanderburgh County has a short runway before leaf season. Evansville and peer Tri-State households can stack paper shredding this month, keep free heavy-trash windows open through October, then use late-October Tox Away (with tires) for the chemicals and rubber that shouldn’t ride the curb.
Why care + what to do this week
If you’re an Evansville / Vanderburgh household: this week / next, plan the Fri Sep 18 free shred drop at Wesselman (and know the preserve is closed that whole weekend). Book any couch, mattress, or appliance heavy trash now — those free pickups pause once leaf collection starts in November. Start a garage shelf for oil paints, solvents, batteries, and tires ahead of Sat Oct 31 Tox Away (soft look-ahead).
Tagged items
Free Paper Shredding Day — Fri Sep 18, 2026 · 9am–noon
Wesselman Woods, Shelter House #1 (551 N Boeke Rd), Evansville.
Vanderburgh County residents only; confidential paper up to ~100 lb. Same campus as Woodland Wonders — preserve closed to the public Fri–Sun Sep 18–20 for setup/event/cleanup, so treat this as a drop visit, not a park walk.
Heavy trash before leaf blackout (standing service cue)
City of Evansville utility customers can schedule free heavy trash as often as every two weeks except during fall leaf collection (typically November through mid-December), when those pickups pause. Exact 2026 leaf start date is not posted yet (2025 ran late Oct–mid Dec) — soft on the open date, firm on the pause rule. If the bulky stuff is leaving this fall, schedule it in September/October.
Fall Tox-Away Day + tire recycling (soft look-ahead) — Sat Oct 31, 2026 · 8am–noon
Former Roberts Stadium lot (enter on E Franklin behind Swonder). Household hazardous waste plus auto/light-truck tires (rims off). Vanderburgh households only. Soft look-ahead beyond the immediate week — still the county’s dated fall disposal window.
Soft note
Leaf collection itself is not open yet in Evansville; treat “late Oct–mid Dec” as the typical pattern until EWSU / Republic posts 2026 dates. Soft permits only — confirm locally before you go.
Vanderburgh free shredding — Fri Sep 18, 9am–noon at Wesselman Shelter #1; residents only.
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Sources: Vanderburgh Solid Waste · division page · EWSU residential trash · Woodland Wonders / preserve closure. Confirm dates with the county before you go.
Tri-State Homeowner Report 