Yardwaste

Collection, Reuse, and Recycling

Collection of lawn and garden waste is often done in communities on special days or at designated collection centers. The reason for separate collection policies is that this waste is not allowed within most landfills that manage municipal garbage. Communities often limit the amount or size of waste that can be picked up or dropped off without a special fee.

There are a variety of ways that communities can handle the waste once it is received. For example, the refuse may be taken to a landfill, composted for future use, or processed and turned into mulch. Some communities offer, free of charge, the mulch produced from yardwaste. In other cases, the mulch is resold to produce a revenue stream for the community.

The growing interest in urban sustainability has caused waste managers to reexamine lawn and garden waste management. As there is greater emphasis on managing waste within the household, managers are urging residents to compost grass clippings and other yardwastes. In addition, there is growing interest in using lawn and garden refuse to develop fuels. Various companies are willing to collect yardwaste for cities or organizations for free. They recycle the waste into mulch or other products and resell the material for a profit. Some garden purists prefer not to utilize these and other mixed-mulch products because they often contain seeds and garden diseases, which may harm plant [Page 1014]species. The production of lawn and garden wastes varies geographically throughout the planet—from hemisphere to hemisphere, inside city limits, and within individual communities. For example, the climate of north-central Europe is conducive to the growth of deciduous hardwood trees that discard their leaves each fall and can lose their limbs in ice storms. This results in a waste stream of thousands of tons of leaves and fallen branches, requiring specialized management.

In contrast, the lawn and garden waste stream in southeast Asia, where perennial trees dominate, varies significantly. In this region, seasonal tropical storms cause significant damage to trees, thereby providing a distinctly unique, but large, garden and lawn waste stream.

Even within the limits of a city, lawn and garden wastes can vary greatly. In newly developed areas, where trees are relatively immature, grass clippings will dominate; but, in older portions of cities, grass clippings, leaves, and tree limbs may be present. This geographic variability requires individualized planning for waste management. There is growing concern over the chemical composition of yard-waste, particularly grass clippings, leaves, weeds, and garden waste because individual homeowners may use fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides that remain with the waste stream.

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