Yard Waste & Composting Recycling
Home Composting Program
In 2004, the Authority teamed with Master Gardeners certified through Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, and municipalities and to begin a program unique in Pennsylvania to help residents make beneficial compost from their backyard and kitchen scraps.
In December 2005, this partnership program was one of only 23 programs in Pennsylvania that was recognized as outstanding in the field of recycling.
Residents that enroll in the one hour workshops, held at various municipal locations throughout Lancaster County, are treated to the knowledge of the Master Gardeners about home composting. Municipal Recycling Coordinators register attendees and are on hand to answer local recycling questions. The Authority provides the advertising for the workshops and the home compost bins each household receives after attending a workshop.
For additional information, check out the PA DEP Website on Home Composting Compost, Resources for Home Composting
Yard Waste Recycling
In 2002, the Authority initiated a pilot curbside collection program for woody yard waste, and recycling opportunities for this material have been increasing ever since. The initiative really took off in 2004 as municipal curbside programs were implemented, making it easy for residents to recycle not only leaves and garden residue, but also shrubbery and tree trimmings. Currently, there are 39 curbside recycling programs that have some type of yard waste and/or leaf curbside collection program, and there are several drop-off locations throughout the County. In 2007, 28,600 tons of yard waste was recycled.
Lancaster residents are realizing the benefits of recycling their leaves and yard waste; not only are these materials taken out of the waste stream, but they are recycled into beneficial products such as compost or mulch that can return nutrients to the soil or be used in residential landscaping projects.
In addition to providing assistance to municipalities in implementing yard waste recycling programs, the Authority also provides a large wood shredder, and an operator, to any municipality that has a large amount of yard waste to process but doesn't have the means to do so. The material is fed through the machine (see pictures below) and turned it into a coarse mulch product that can be used by the municipality for their own landscape needs, given it to their residents or sold to landscaping companies.
Contact Information
Lancaster County
Solid Waste Management Authority
1299 Harrisburg Pike
PO Box 4425
Lancaster, PA 17604
Phone: 717-397-9968
Fax: 717-397-9973
Email: info@lcswma.org
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