DNREC reminds Delaware residents about yard waste rules, options

With spring arriving and Delawareans across the state sprucing up their lawns and landscapes, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds residents that yard waste is banned from the state’s landfills. There’s also a more encouraging reminder: Yard waste, when mulched or composted, can become outstanding organic material that enhances beautification efforts for better lawns and gardens.

Yard waste – defined by the DNREC Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances to include grass clippings, leaves, prunings, brush, garden wastes, Christmas trees and tree limbs up to four inches in diameter – has the most organic value when applied as mulch or compost to the same ground it came from.

For Delawareans who haven’t yet decided to mulch or compost on their own property, other options exist. Since yard waste was banned from Delaware landfills in 2007, a growing number of businesses across the state now accept yard waste for recycling into lawn, garden and flower bed enhancements. A list of these companies, covering all three Delaware counties, can be found at de.gov/yardwaste.

Also, many waste haulers are under municipal contract to offer curbside collection, which they may also provide for individual customers. The Delaware Solid Waste Authority also accepts yard waste for a fee at its landfills and transfer stations across the state for conversion to mulch and compost. Residents who want to learn more about the beneficial reuse of yard waste can check out DNREC’s What to Do With Yard Waste in Delaware brochure. Those with more interest may want to look into DNREC’s annual Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale, which runs through Thursday, April 16, and offers those two items at reduced prices.