Properly disposing of yard waste is more than just cleanup; it involves making environmentally friendly choices that benefit the planet, your community, and your garden!
In this post, you’ll learn how to rent dumpsters or use municipal services for your yard waste. We will also cover eco-friendly options like composting and mulching. Stick around for tips on legal considerations, too.
Ready to clean up your yard? Let’s turn that pile of debris into something beneficial for your yard and the environment!
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What Constitutes Yard Waste?
Yard waste includes branches, leaves, and grass clippings from your garden. It often excludes things like plastic bags or household garbage.
Acceptable Yard Waste
Branches, bushes, flowers, and grass are acceptable yard waste. Leaves from your trees count, too. You can also include tree trimmings and untreated wood. Every year, Christmas trees are added to the list.
Fruit and vegetable scraps fall under organic material you can dispose of this way. Many curbside collection services accept these items. Do not mix in household hazardous waste or plastic bags; they don’t belong here!
Commonly excluded items
Certain items do not count as yard waste. These include plant pots, dirt, rocks, and pet waste. You should also avoid putting bricks, plant tags, and treated wood in your yard waste pile.
These items can harm recycling machines or contaminate compost piles, requiring special handling. Contact trash collection services for proper disposal methods. Following these rules helps keep our environment clean and safe!
Methods for Disposing of Yard Waste
There are many ways to get rid of yard waste. You can either rent a dumpster or use city waste services.
1. Renting a Dumpster
Renting a dumpster is easy for large amounts of yard waste. Sizes include 10, 20, 30, or even 40 yards. The cost can range from $150 to $1,300 based on the size and state.
Choose BigRentz for a week-long rental. A smaller 10-yard dumpster costs about $150 to $650 and holds up to one ton. Bigger ones, like the 20-yard, cost from $225 to $1,100 and hold up to two tons.
This option provides ample space for all your garden waste removal needs.
2. Using Municipal Yard Waste Collection Services
Check with your city about yard waste collection. They may require special bags or have set pickup dates. To help protect the environment, yard waste usually can’t go in regular trash bins.
Set out leaves, branches, and grass clippings for collection on your area’s scheduled days. Don’t mix in household or food waste—those don’t belong in yard waste pickups!
3. Visiting Local Recycling Drop-Off Sites
Take your yard waste to a local recycling drop-off site. Some places offer this service for free, and others may charge small fees.
Before you go, check for hours and disposal limits. Not all sites accept the same items. Ensure you only bring what they allow—usually organic matter like leaves, grass clippings, and small branches.
Avoid bringing in junk removal waste or litter that does not belong there.
Using these sites helps reduce solid waste in landfills. It promotes resource recovery by turning organic matter into composted soil or mulch for gardens and lawns. This is good for the environment and can help conserve water as well!
Always verify specific rules before visiting a drop-off site… You don’t want any surprises when you get there!
4. Hiring Private Yard Waste Disposal Services
Hiring a private yard waste disposal service can save time. They charge about $15 to $25 per cubic yard. For big jobs, costs range from $150 to $300 per service. Some services have minimum charges of $70 to $80 for a single load.
These services handle all types of yard waste, including branches, leaves, and turf. Make sure you check what they accept before hiring them. This option keeps your yard clean without much effort on your part…
Plus, it helps in proper solid waste disposal!
Eco-Friendly Yard Waste Disposal Options
Discover ways to turn yard waste into useful materials and help the planet. Click here for simple, green tips!
Composting at Home
Composting at home is simple and eco-friendly. A compost bin can turn yard waste into nutrient-rich soil. LA Sanitation offers free workshops to help you learn how to do it. You can put leaves, grass clippings, and small branches in your bin.
Avoid putting meat, dairy, or pet waste in compost. They attract pests and smell bad. Instead, use fruit peels and vegetable scraps to add nutrients. The result? Rich compost for your garden…
Chemical fertilizer is not needed. This also helps reduce waste—less goes to landfills or storm sewers.
Creating Mulch from Yard Waste
Turn your yard waste into mulch to help your garden. Mulch keeps the soil moist, stops weeds from growing, protects plants, and recycles nutrients back into the ground.
Use leaves, grass clippings, and small branches for mulch. Shred these materials using a mulching mower or chipper. Spread the mulch around trees, shrubs, and flowers. This helps keep your garden healthy and beautiful without much effort!
Collaborating with Local Community Gardens
Community gardens need compost, and your yard waste can help them grow. Many local gardens accept donations of leaves and grass clippings. Composting uses your organic waste to make rich soil.
Talk to garden organizers in your area. They may also take branches, weeds, or dead plants. This helps reduce municipal waste and keeps it from being landfilled. You will be helping the environment and supporting community projects!
Legal Considerations for Yard Waste Disposal
You need to know the rules before you dispose of yard waste. Each area has its laws and guidelines… make sure you’re in the clear!
Understanding local laws on burning yard waste
Check your local laws before burning yard waste. Some areas need permits. Burning is only safe in a controlled environment. To keep it contained, use a 10-foot radius of gravel or soil.
Burning yard waste can release harmful smoke and chemicals, affecting air quality. Always ask about the rules for burning, even in rural areas. Instead, consider eco-friendly options like composting or grasscycling.
Regulations on waste disposal in landfills
Landfills have strict rules about what can go in them. Yard waste is usually not allowed. This is to help the environment and reduce landfill use.
California’s Senate Bill 1383 sets clear guidelines. It mandates composting and cutting organic waste significantly. Following these laws helps keep our planet green!
Benefits of Proper Yard Waste Disposal
Proper yard waste disposal helps keep your neighborhood clean. It also protects the environment by reducing pollution.
Environmental impacts
Proper yard waste disposal helps our planet. It keeps landfills from filling up too fast, and less trash means less pollution in the air and water.
Eco-friendly methods like composting and recycling turn waste into useful stuff. Composting at home can enrich your garden soil, making plants grow better. Recycling yard waste saves resources and energy, helping nature thrive!
Enhancements to community cleanliness
Proper yard waste disposal keeps communities clean and enhances the beauty of shared spaces. LA Sanitation offers a once-a-year collection of extra yard trimmings, helping keep streets and neighborhoods tidy.
Using recycled materials, like municipal composting, also boosts community aesthetics. Eco-friendly practices reduce clutter around mailboxes and streets. Clean surroundings make everyone feel proud of their neighborhood!
The Bottom Line
You have many options for disposing of yard waste. Renting a dumpster works well for big cleanups, and municipal services can be easy. Composting and mulching are green choices that help the earth.
If you think about burning your waste, follow local laws. Proper disposal keeps your yard and community clean and helps the environment! Get started today—your yard will thank you!
