Please read the following note from the Environmental Services Department:
Our residential yard trimmings program collects material in two ways: loose-in-street piles and yard trimmings carts. The majority of residents elect to have loose-in-street pile service, which is included in their garbage fee. Loose-in-street piles provide flexibility to set out larger quantities of yard trimmings which is especially helpful during the fall and spring seasons when residents typically have more material to set-out. Material collected from piles has very little contamination, resulting in over 97% getting recycled into a high-quality compost.
After GreenWaste, one of our garbage/recycling contractors, collects the piles, there may be some small debris left behind that the claw tractor cannot scoop up. We encourage residents to sweep up any remaining residue and save it for their next collection day. Additionally, our contract with GreenWaste does not allow them to consolidate piles. We have discussed this with GreenWaste and have followed up with them for specific streets that residents have brought to our attention. Please feel free to provide us with specific streets or neighborhoods where this may be occurring, and we are happy to follow up with GreenWaste directly.
Yard trimmings are also collected from carts. Most residents have the option to subscribe to a yard trimmings cart for an additional fee of $5.30 per month. However, there are some areas in the city where yard trimmings carts are required because GreenWaste's claw tractor cannot safely collect piles.
Transitioning from a dual-collection system (piles and carts) to citywide yard trimmings carts would require additional funding from ratepayers so that GreenWaste could purchase the appropriate collection equipment. It would likely increase the amount of contamination in the yard trimmings material as well. Minimizing contamination is important for regulatory compliance.
Please visit www.sjenvironment.org/yardtrimmings for more info.