Instead of bagging up your leaves to be hauled away, the University of Illinois Extension office suggests using them in your garden. 

Leaves make great mulch, according to U of I Extension Educator Sarah Ruth. She recommends breaking them down with a shredder, mulcher, or lawn mower so they decompose quicker.

Ruth says you can use the leaves around flowers, shrubs, or other natural landscaping as insulation against the frigid temperatures of winter.