Turn your fall leaves into a valuable resource

Turn your fall leaves into a valuable resource

Published on November 12, 2023

The fall and winter seasons have been in a battle over the past few weeks, but residents don't have to wrestle with what to do with their yard waste.

With cooler temperatures inevitably upon us, leaves will need to be raked and branches trimmed back; all of which can easily be placed out weekly for curbside collection.

Why it matters: In Fort Worth, all yard waste collected is converted into a valuable, natural resource - mulch. The mulch produced is free to Fort Worth residents, with proof of residency. By recycling leaves and trimmings instead of trashing them, residents are making major impacts on the environment.

• Blowing leaves or grass clippings into the street is not only illegal, it can cause backups and floods when they enter the City's stormwater drain system. If it ends up in waterways, it can affect water quality and impact wildlife.
• Burning leaves is not allowed in most Fort Worth residential areas. The resulting smoke negatively affects the quality of air we breathe, and can be a safety hazard, particularly in dry, windy weather.
• Yard waste does not belong in the garbage or recycling cart. It fills landfill capacity and contaminates recyclable items.
• Seasonal items such as hay bales and live Christmas trees are allowed as part of the weekly yard waste collections after decorations are removed.

Here are a few tipsto properly dispose of leaves and yard trimmings.

1. Bag it. Paper yard bags can be purchased at grocery stores, hardware and garden stores. These bags are for leaves, grass clippings and other small trimmings only.
2. Cart it. Green yard carts have a 96-gallon capacity and are available for a one-time $75 fee, which is a long-term cost savings over paper yard bags.
3. Bundle it. Use string or twine to bundle shrub and tree trimmings. Bundles should be no more than four feet long and weigh no more than 40 pounds.
4. Stack it. Individual tree and shrub limbs can be stacked at the curb, but must be cut down to less than eight feet long and four inches in diameter. Make sure piles do not exceed 10 cubic yards.
5. Drop it off. Leaves, branches and brush are accepted at all of the City's four drop-off stations.

Drink bottles, food bags, plastic landscaping bags or edging, metal yard dividers, tanglers like hoses or cables, and old flower pots, are not accepted in your yard cart or bags. They contaminate the mulch that is created from the collection of yard trimmings. So, when mowing, gardening or landscaping, keep your yard waste clean.

Learn more.

Photo:Use paper bags for leaves, grass clippings and other small yard trimmings.

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Tagged as:

• Environment