In preparation for the autumn season and the falling leaves that come with it, Pennington Borough is kicking off its Small Yard Waste Recycling Program.
Originally introduced last November, the program is aimed at helping residents get rid of fallen leaves and debris by providing free 30-gallon biodegradable paper bags.
“When small yard waste is collected in paper bags, it can be recycled by a commercial mulch manufacturer at a savings of $83 per ton,” Superintendent of Public Works Ricky Smith said. “(It’s a) win-win for the borough and the environment.”
Prior to the program’s implementation, borough officials said residents were prone to placing small yard waste, such as small branches, plants and hedge trimmings, into regular trash containers or plastic bags for pick up. Since those items could not be chipped and recycled through the borough’s machinery, they were ultimately sent to the landfill.
Since the program began, however, Borough Finance Committee Chairman Glen Griffiths said the borough has seen a “significant reduction” in its landfill fees.
“Cumulative savings have exceeded $18,000, equal to nearly 200 tons of debris that was recycled instead of being sent to the landfill,” Mr. Griffiths said. “We estimate this is only half the potential savings the borough would get if all residents took advantage of this program.”
Under the Small Yard Waste Program, the borough uses vacuum equipment to pick up leaves that have been left curbside from October to December, while the aforementioned paper bags of yard waste are collected all year long.
Residents are asked to not co-mingle small branches with leaves, because the vacuum equipment will not be able to pick them up.
Along with the small debris, officials said large limbs would be chipped and recycled year round. In order for larger branches to be picked up by municipal employees, they should be placed on the lawn, not the street, with the butt end facing the street.
In order to increase the number of residents involved in the program, Mr. Smith said residents who place yard waste in paper bags or co-mingled with non-recyclable material will not have their items collected and will be given “a notice about the Small Yard Waste Recycling Program.”
Free bags come in bundles of five and are available at the Borough Hall office. Residents may also request free delivery of bags by calling Public Works at 609-737-9440 or emailing Ricky Smith at [email protected].
More information on borough trash and recycling is available at www.penningtonboro.org.
