SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - DNREC reminds everyone that yard waste is banned from landfills, as warmer weather means people will begin to beautify their yards.
With gardening and landscaping comes yard waste. DNREC defines yard waste as grass clippings, leaves, brush, garden waste and tree limbs up to 4 inches in diameter.
DNREC banned yard waste from landfills in 2007, with a growing number of businesses across Sussex county accepting yard waste for recycling into lawn, garden and flower bed enhancements.
East Coast Garden Center near Millsboro does just that. Chris Cordrey is the owner and said his company is proactive in taking care of yard waste.
"We get a lot of waste, that's part of what we do. We go out to the people's property, and clean up all the waste," said Cordrey. "We bring it back here, then we have a company that comes into our facility and gets rid of it."
Yard waste, when mulched or composted, can produce organic material that enhances your lawn and garden said the garden center.
"It's a great opportunity to reuse that plant material and create new soil for you to use for your garden in the future," Cordrey said.
Alice Peters has a yard waste program in her community.
"It's a volunteer program in our community and that's great. So we go in the community, clean up things, then we have dumpsters we can put in that and it's really nice," Peters said.
DNREC said 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.