Yard waste is your typical homeowner waste from maintaining your lawn and landscaping. It includes grass clippings, leaves, brush, and sticks shorter than 4 feet in length. Most yard waste is taken care of by the county you live in, however, that is not always the case in every county. It is also a challenge to know what to do if you have massive amounts of green waste from clearing a property. In this article, I will discuss how yard waste recycling near me works, your options, and how to find a composting facility.
Map of Yard Waste Recycling Near Me
For “Yard Waste Recycling Near me”, “Compost Near Me”, or “Composting Facility Near Me”, use the map below…
Yard waste recycling places are vital eco-friendly facilities where homeowners and communities can dispose of their organic waste responsibly. These dedicated sites help divert green waste, such as leaves, grass clippings, and branches, from landfills. Through composting and mulching processes, they transform yard waste into valuable resources like nutrient-rich compost, benefiting both the environment and local gardening enthusiasts.
In the event you don’t have a Yard waste management company or compost facility nearby then you should be aware that grasscycling, mulching, and composting are alternatives to bagging grass clippings and leaves. These practices are considered safe for the environment and can save you the trip to your local green waste collection center.
Safe Waste Disposal
Safe waste disposal and recycling are crucial for environmental sustainability. Proper disposal methods, such as landfill management and waste incineration, help prevent harmful pollutants from contaminating soil and water. Recycling reduces the strain on natural resources by reusing materials, conserving energy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It’s essential to raise awareness about responsible waste management practices to protect our planet for future generations and create a cleaner, healthier environment.
Risks of Improper Green Waste Disposal
Green waste also called biological waste is taken for granted by many people. Green waste dumping is the act of putting yard and garden waste somewhere it is not supposed to go. There are risks of improper green waste disposal in that it may contain seeds and plant parts that may disrupt the ecosystem and increase fire fuel loads that feed forest fires.
Requirements of Yard Waste Recycling
First, it’s worth noting that every county is different. Some won’t take leaves or grass clippings in plastic bags while others will. It’s also important to know that yard waste recycling does not include large materials from tree removal, lot clearing, or home renovation projects. Many counties use independent hauling companies for curbside pickup of yard waste and they may have their own set of rules as well.
In the video below you can see how a local yard waste pickup operates. Notice how many people have reusable containers. That is a best practice for curbside pickup.
Curbside Yard Waste Collection
Many counties provide curbside yard waste collection pickup. In this instance, you can put your grass clippings, leaves, or brush in a lawn bag or reusable container and place it near the edge of your property along the road. Each bag you leave must weigh less than 40 lbs and you cannot have any sticks or twigs over 4 feet in length. If your county does not allow for plastic lawn bags, you may need to purchase a paper bag alternative.
Dropping Off to a Composting Facility Near Me
This is where you haul your waste to a facility yourself. Yard waste drop-off near me is normally accepted at your county’s waste management complex for a fee. For more detailed information you should look on your county’s website to find out requirements and restrictions.
Yard Waste Dumpster Rental
If you have a significant amount of clearing to do you can also rent a dumpster and fill it. The easiest way to do this is to find a junk removal company. These companies will drop a dumpster at your house and leave it for an agreed amount of time. When you call them to say it’s full they come and pick the dumpster up. You just need to tell them, what size dumpster you need. Most companies that do junk removal specialize in debris removal as well. They will handle the recycling of all of your yard waste once you are done.
Composting Waste Yourself
Composting is a good practice that can help you enrich your soil and grow healthy plants. You can use your grass clippings on your lawn after you finish cutting it, this is called grasscycling. In addition, you can get compost for your backyard that can hold yard and other organics such as food waste. Then take your compost and use it to add nutrients back into the soil. You can learn more about how to compost here.
Operations of Green Waste Management Centers
All county-owned yard waste management centers have their own basic rules but do have to follow state-wide regulations. At the yard waste recycling near me, they take backyard waste year-round but only process it for recycling between March 1 and Dec 24. For the off months, they treat it as a regular refuge and not like a wood dump. The only exception is Christmas Trees which they do from December 25th to the end of February.
The reason for this is there is generally very little yard waste collected in the winter months where I live. If you live in a place where it is warm year round your local facility may process it as recycling year round.
In some areas, there is no specific yard waste management center or wood dump. Instead, it gets sent to your local landfill where it is buried with other yard waste materials.
Quick Green Waste Facts:
According to the EPA, since about 1990 composting has increased by 500% and yard waste has reduced in landfills by more than 50%. Still at more than 50% reduction in green waste that is 10.5 million tons and represents more the 7% of all the green waste generated. The numbers are improving over the last 20 years, but there is still a long way to go.
How do Compost Facilities Near Me Work?
The facilities they haul to (or you drop off to) are large yard compost complexes. This is like your home compost pile times 1000! Imagine a compost pile with millions of tons of yard waste. They are not necessarily your local junk yard or recycling plant. These specialize solely in composting of only natural materials. They take your backyard waste and compost it and then after it decomposes they reuse it for residential and commercial properties. In addition to yard waste places like the compost near me have also entered into food waste recovery.
What If You Have Large Amounts of Yard Trimmings?…
If you are clearing all of the landscaping from a large residential or commercial property, you can also consider renting a dumpster. This can be rented through your local junk and debris removal companies. They drop off a dumpster, you fill it at your leisure, and have it picked up when you are done. They will charge you based on the size of the dumpster you need.
The best thing to do is to look on your county’s website about how to proceed if you have curbside pickup. They will often have detailed information about how to schedule it, put it out, or where to bring it. If your county utilizes an independent hauler you can contact them directly to find out how they handle and charge for bulk debris removal. You can also try looking up Yard Waste Removal Services on Google and Yelp or debris removal near me.
Some counties will make an exception if you contact them and make a special request. This is normally granted in managed communities like townhomes are condominiums where not much yard waste is normally generated.
The compost near me actually runs a pick-up service as well. They are privately owned and therefore charge you for a pick-up. The best part though is that you know that your green waste is going to the right place.
Best Practices for Yard Waste Recycling and Disposal
Composting: This is a technique used to add nutrients back into the soil. You can take yard waste and food kitchen waste and collect it in a composter on your property. Then let it sit and decompose and use the end product as new soil for use in your garden. Read more info on compost here.
Reusable Containers: Putting your yard waste in a reusable container helps eliminate more waste from the recycling center.
Paper Bags: Using paper bags instead of plastic lawn bags helps local yard composting facilities create a higher-end product for reuse on commercial and residential lawns and gardens.
Grasscycling: Leaving your grass clippings in your lawn can promote a healthier greener lawn. When you grasscycle you reduce waste by eliminating the need for bagging, hauling, and disposal. In addition, it improves the quality of the soil, and water retention, and can help eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers by up to 50%.
Mulching: In the fall if you have leaves you can run them through a mulcher and dispense them back into your lawn. This gives off the same benefits as grasscycling listed above. You can learn about how to make your own mulch here.
Why Keep Green Waste Out of Landfills?
Some people may feel, what’s the big deal with sending this stuff to landfills? When yard waste is collected at scale it takes up valuable space in a landfill. Wasted space in landfills means dumping more non-natural waste elsewhere and creating more landfills.
Despite the fact the materials are clean and biodegradable, they may also sit on top of other waste and slow the process of degrading. As the yard waste decomposes it generates methane gas and acidic leachate. The methane is released as bacteria decompose organic materials in the landfills. If the methane isn’t controlled it will seep underground where it could cause an explosion if it went under a building. Green waste also adds to the acidity level that can make other waste around it more toxic to the environment.
Green waste should be diverted to a local composting facility. Over the last few years, many communities and 12 states have decided to ban yard waste from landfills. They are forcing composting, wood dumps, and other means of recycling as it has there are environmental benefits.
Responsible Waste Management and Holidays
Managing wood waste, especially from ash trees affected by the invasive emerald ash borer, becomes crucial as communities strive for sustainable practices. Many municipalities offer yard waste drop-off services, often in collaboration with waste haulers. To minimize environmental impact, using compostable bags is strongly encouraged for this purpose. Materials accepted during these services typically include branches, leaves, and other yard debris. It’s essential to note that the schedules may vary, but they often align with the following holidays:
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Christmas Day
It’s advisable to check with local authorities for the complete list of dates, as services may be affected on holidays such as Christmas Day when facilities may be closed. Responsible yard waste disposal near me during these times helps maintain cleaner and greener communities.
Yard Waste Recycling Near Me Conclusion
While my county may operate slightly differently than yours the general guidelines above should be applicable. If you have the ability to compost that’s the best, but if you need to find a yard waste recycling center try to create as little extra waste as possible. You can also try and find out if your local area has curbside yard waste collection. Hopefully, you have learned something from my experience with yard waste recycling near me. Recycling and proper disposal are important to maintain a healthy ecosystem and keep the earth sustainable.
