Proper Disposal of Lawn Debris: Take it or Leaf It

Falling leaves is one of the tell-tale signs of fall—along with the brisk air and rogue acorns. And every year, piles of bagged and unbagged leaves line streets as they wait for curbside pickup. While people are eager to remove lawn debris (also referred to as “yard trash”), it is important to properly dispose of it. Some residents have curbside pickup as an option; some residents transport their leaves to the landfill. Some residents compost their leaves. And some simply place them in a nearby ditch. There are many options for disposing fallen leaves, and some are more environmentally friendly than others.

Drains aren’t dumps: If curbside pickup is your preferred option, make sure leaf piles or bags are away from a storm drain, and never intentionally put leaves into a storm drain. Nell Orscheln, of Columbia Water, regularly encourages citizens to be mindful of what goes into storm drains. “Drains aren’t dumps, and putting anything down them is illegal. When storm drains get blocked by leaves and other yard debris, it doesn’t give the water a place to go, so water just sits there flooding an area.”

    But the problem doesn’t end there. When leaves wash in the storm drainage pipe, the sludgy mix of rain water and decomposing organic matter creates a perfect breeding ground for the Culex mosquito—a genus known for transmitting West Nile virus, according to Richland County Vector Control. During that next heavy rainfall, the decomposing leaves may get flushed away, but because storm drains lead to waterways, those leaves are transported to the nearest creek or stream. The nutrients from the leaves are dumped into the waterway where they can negatively impact aquatic life.

    Some neighborhoods have ditches as their drainage feature instead of a curb cut-out storm drain. Even though ditches may seem like grassy, convenient places for lawn debris, they are designed to remove water from yards and roads, just like curb storm drain inlets. Filling a ditch with trash or leaves can cause standing water. Richland County Stormwater Management’s Jake Cannon often comes across this situation during his inspections. “I see people who dump their yard debris and trash in the drainage path and it causes issues,” says Cannon. “It’s important to keep ditches, storm drains, and any other drainage pipes clear to make sure water can flow the way it’s supposed to.”

Decomposing leaves: bad for water, good for soil: The best option is to make use of lawn debris instead of putting it into a landfill, ditch or roadway. Leaves can be composted—the process of facilitating natural decomposition. Composting lawn debris and kitchen scraps provides an option for disposing of leaves and keeps food waste out of the landfill. A combination of nitrogen-rich “greens” and carbon-rich “browns” is necessary to make composting happen, and fallen leaves make a perfect “brown” for the right balance. As the organic matter is broken down, it becomes compost filled with nutrients that can be added to soil to reduce the need for fertilizer. The solid waste and recycling divisions for City of Columbia, Lexington County, and Richland County all accept lawn debris that is later composted and made available to residents.

    Whether they are composted, picked up on the curb, or transported to the landfill, make properly disposing of your leaves a priority this fall. Off the lawn should not mean out of mind.

For more information about the proper disposal of lawn debris, contact Chenille Williams, education program coordinator for Richland County, the Department of Public Works and the Stormwater Management at 803-576-2491, or [email protected]. Also visit RichlandCountySC.gov.