Agenda - Council - 07/24/1984 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page Fivo Y~'d waste (grass clippings md leaves) represents approximately 17% of the total waste stream by volume. This volume may v(~/' depending on the I season. !t has been reported that in the spring and fall as much as 50% of the waste being collected in urban areas is leave. Grass clippings represent approximately 3 to .5% of the waste stream. Composting of yard wastes is a I relatively safe and simple process, requires limited equipment and manpower, and is much less costly than lanclfilling by comparison. However, there may be some difficulties in implementing a system. Composting is simply a I matter of letting nature do its normal work with micro-organisms to reduce the yard waste to its lowest form, a beneficial soll amendment. Yard waste composting in the metropolitan area has been limited to the compostlng of i leaves primarily because leaves represent an extremely large portion of the yard waste stream and are generated in a short period of time in large enough quantities to facilitate offering leaf compost facilities. The compasting of I grass clippings is somewhat more difficult and requires more attention ond may produce some odors. Methods of leaf collection for composting sites include: I) voluntary drop off; I 2) . .s.e.,?arate .c~. Ilection by city and/or refuse haulers of bagged leaves; and 3) residents rak,ng leaves into the street on assigned days for collection by the city. Voluntar7 drop off centers for leaf compc~sfing, like drop off centers I recyclables, to be effective must be located close to the point of for other leaf generation. For this reason, it would seem mast appropriate to think of terms of several collection sites possibly related to municipal service areas I (public works areas or parks). Salvaging is the process of removing materials of value by hand picking them I ::.? t. he mix.ed w~.t, stream for later .sale or reuse. ,~Ivaging h~ very I,rrle irnpoct in reducing the County:s solid waste disposal needs. MECHANICAL/PROCESSING ABATEMENT STRATEGIF.C; I Even with the best of efforts in waste reduction and waste source separation, there will still remain a large volume of waste in the mixed municipal waste stream which will need to be landfilled or else processed to reduce the I amount needing to be landfillecL Waste processing would include such activities as mechanical separation, shredding, baling, incineration, biological treatment, modular combustion units, mass burning waste to energy, and i refuse derived fuel.