Hello Lansdowners,
Yes, it’s back! The twice monthly yard waste collections resume next Wednesday. So before the rains come tomorrow, you may want to get out there and collect all those broken sticks and twigs that appeared over the hard winter.
The last thing you want to do is put your clippings and branches in the trash. The borough’s yard waste collection program insures that organic waste is treated as such and is taken to a composting site rather than to a landfill. But besides being smart environmentally, this is brilliant financially. By disposing of this often heavy “trash” in these special collections, it avoids being part of the “trash tipping fee” that we all pay to Delaware County based on the # of tons of trash we toss out. (Yes, they weigh it, and we pay accordingly.) That goes for recycling, too. The more we divert out of trash and into our recycling bins and yard waste bags/cans, the less $ we pay to the County come tax time.
So go ahead and gather up all of your clippings, twigs, branches, leaves, weeds, vines, etc. and put them out in this collection. Of course, composting is a fantastic environmental way to go, so don’t let this program dissuade you from doing that. Your garden will thank you for making the effort.
Here’s the drill as a reminder:
- Yard Debris: tree trimmings, shrubbery, twigs, grass clippings, leaves, brush, vines, etc.
- Twice a month (most months), always on Wednesdays
- March – December. The schedule is on the 2011 Recycling Magnet. (pick one up at Borough Hall if you need one)
- Place at curb by 7am on collection day
- Put directly in a trash can or in the large brown paper lawn bags available at many grocery, drug and hardware stores.
- Bundle branches/twigs and tie with string.
- Branches and sticks must be no more than 4′ long.
- No plastic, please. It goes to an organic site, after all. (No plastic bags in recycling, either.)
- No stones.
- Yard waste will not be collected if it is placed out on days that are not designated yard waste days. Please refer to your magnet calendar for specified days.
If you see a neighbor diligently collecting twigs and clippings and then putting them into a plastic bag destined for the trash, please help them out by letting them know about this service that saves us all money. Neighborly communication is the key to this type of residential service being successful. For more information, please go to http://lansdowneborough.com/yard-waste-program/
See you outside! And Happy Almost-Spring!
Barbara Silzle
Lansdowne Borough Council
Chair, Environment Committee