Beginning today Lincoln garbage haulers will collect grass and leaves separately from household trash. LTU Waste Diversion Coordinator Willa DiCostanzo tells KLIN News state law requires yard waste to be separated through November 30.
She says residents can pay a fee to have grass and leaves hauled away by garbage collectors or hire a lawn service to collect yard waste. DiCostanzo says another option is using a mower to mulch yard waste and leave it on the yard to help add nutrients to the soil.
Residents should put grass and leaves in paper yard waste bags and haul them to the North 48th Street Solid Waste Facility. In addition to the paper yard waste bags, 32-gallon containers with tight-fitting lids or 95-gallon containers provided by garbage collectors can be used.
“Lincoln residents are playing an important role in the community’s sustainability when they separate their yard waste,” DiCostanzo says. “The grass and leaves in your yard waste are processed into compost called EarthFuel.”
To help reduce plastic pollution in the compost they produce she reminds residents to remove litter from their yard before raking up your leaves and grass. “It’s amazing how many tennis balls, dog toys, and litter that gets screened out of our compost,” DiCostanzo says. “Picking these items up before you clean your yard can help keep our compost clean.”
Tree trimmings, garden waste, and weeds may still be included with regular household garbage.