V. Collection
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| Once a site has been found, it is necesary to
consider how wastes will be collected. Municipal yard waste collection
can occur in two ways. There can be a separate curbside collection
program, or a drop-off site can be established where residents
or commercial yard waste generators voluntarily deliver their
yard wastes. Curbside collection systems are generally more expensive
than drop-off systems. However, these costs may be justified
on the basis of diverting more yard wastes from other disposal
facilities. Ideally, a municipality should offer both strategies
to increase the participation of residents and landscapers. |
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| Curbside collection will generate significantly
higher participation rates than drop-off sites. If a municipality
decides to collect bagged leaves it should consider providing
biodegradable paper bags to residents, since bags often get shredded
and mixed in with the compost in large scale operations. |
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| Leaves sealed in traditional, nondegradable plastic
will putrefy instead of composting and it can be difficult to
separate them from finished compost. When sites are crowded with
nonbiodegradable plastic bags there are more likely to be complaints
from residents, which can prompt the DEC to shut offending facilities
down. |
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| Biodegradable cornstarch plastics are designed
to decomopose primarily through the action of microbes, such
as bacteria and fungi. These organisms can physical y break down
the long polymer chains by digesting a starch filler inserted
inthe polymer chains. Biodegradable plastic bags currently on
the market still take several years to decompose, and probably
need to be shredded with a windrow tuner to speed the degradation. |
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| Paper leaf bags are biodegradable and have been
used successfully in many communities. The bags hold 33 gallons
of leaves, and may be single or double-ply. Bags make with wet
strength paper actually become stronger when wet. They can be
collected with a packer truck and compacted. The more bags that
break, the easier it will be to compost them. If bags are sold
to residents to recover their cost, some incentive should be
provided or residents may mix their yard waste with their refuse.
A ban on yard waste in mixed refuse, as well as a rule that only
separated waste will be picked up, may help. |
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| Compared to the collection of bagged leaves,
bulk collection of loose leaves is a somewhat slower method.
There are a number of options for collecting loose leaves. All
require the residents to rake leaves to the curb. |
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| Vacuum leaf collectors are designed to suck up
leaves that have been raked into the street or onto the curbside
median. Tag-along units are towed behind a truck, into which
the leaves are blown. Many vacuums have manually operated intake
hoses 7 to 18 inches in diameter. Some models include an internal
shredding system. Their advantage is that they collect very completely
and clean the street. A disadvantage is that they are slow and
require a crew of several laborers. Trailer vacuum units cost
from $6,000 to $20,000. Self-contained units range from $80,000
to $100,000. |
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| A front-end loader is also an efficient way of
collecting leaves when the leaf fall is heavy. Additional attachments,
such as a claw, are also available. A claw attachment to a front
end loader can open to a spread of about 8 feet and can scrape
up leaves without damaging the uncurbed shoulder of a street. |
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| Drop-off leaf collection requires a smaller investment
than curbside collection, less effort, and less personnel. Drop-off
sites are popular with commercial landscapers and yard maintenance
firms, if they can deliver waste on a daily basis. However, there
is likely to be a lower residential participation rate than with
curbside collection. (Special thanks to Frank Flower) |
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| In a recycling center automobiles can enter the
drop-off area, pull over to the edge of a paved driveway, dump
yard waste into piles adjacent to the driveway, and then continue
to drive to a finished compost pile from which they can help
themselves. |
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| Piles of firewood and wood chips can also be
made available. |
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| Only residents and contractors serving local
residents should be allowed to use the drop off site. In many
communities, landscape contractors already haul a great deala
of source separated yard waste to the transfer station or disposal
site. Offering this group a financial incentive, such as a reduced
tipping fee, can readily divert this material to a compost site.
Charging fees based on volume and selling "tipping tickets"
in advance can eliminate the need for scales or much cash handling
at a compost site. |
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