NCS000482_Yard Waste Guide_20220526

Residential Yard Waste Pickup
• Loose yard waste such as grass clippings,
leaves, pinecones and vines must be
bagged and placed curbside.
• Tree limbs, brush and shrubbery trimmings
must be placed at the curb and free of
other debris. Small brush and shrub
trimmings should be bagged.
• Tree limbs must be no longer than 4 feet
in length and 6 inches in diameter. Tree
trunks and root balls are not collected.
Yard waste shall not include straw, dirt or
mulch.
For more details on Yard Waste collection
within Monroe and links to our series of
collection videos, please visit our Yard
Waste website at www.monroenc.org
Please note that residential loose leaf
pickup by the Parks and Recreation
Department is available seasonally. Refer to
our "Fall Leaves & Yard Waste Options"
resource for more information.
Yard waste that is too large or doesn't
qualify for collection, can be hauled to
Union County's Austin Chaney Landfill. For
details including hours and costs, please
visit Union County's Solid Waste & Recycling
website at www.unioncountync-gov or call
704-296-4213.
To report stormwater pollution
please call the
Stormwater Hotline at
704-282-4515
For more information on
stormwater and pollution
prevention visit our
Stormwater Services website
at www.monroenc.org
For information on yard waste
collection within Monroe
please call Solid Waste at
704-282-4565 or visit our
Garbage & Recycling website
at www.monroenc.om
Yard Waste
Guide
Report stormwater concerns
to the Stormwater Hotline
at 704-282-4515
City of
�!nonroe
Engineering
11

Why is Yard Waste a Problem? What's the Issue? Lawn Care Chemical Use
Stormwater runoff picks up any pollutants in
its path as it flows into our storm drainage
system. Yard waste in the storm drainage
system causes many problems for our City.
Branches, leaves, or other discarded yard
debris can clog storm drains, culverts and
pipes, cause localized flooding of streets, and
damage stormwater structures and stream
habitats downstream.
Yard waste transported by stormwater runoff
introduces excess nutrients into our local
aquatic ecosystems. Too many nutrients can
result in uncontrolled growth of algae or
aquatic weeds, such as duckweed (shown
below). Negative impacts to wildlife include
blacking sunlight, decreased dissolved
oxygen levels, and smothering or destruction
of habitats. Pet waste that is left on the
ground contaminates stormwater with
additional nutrients as well as a variety of
bacteria and
pathogens
that are
harmful to
human health
and wildlife.
• Grass
clippings
• Weeds
• Leaves
• Tree limbs
• Shrubbery
trimmings
• Excess
fertilizer &
pesticides
• Pet waste
I- a-z
jW
4
What You Can Do!
Properly prepare yard waste for collection.
See the "Yard Waste Pickup" section for
details.
• Place bagged leaves and leaf piles above
the curb, not in the street, or blocking a
storm drain (shown above).
• Never blow or rake yard waste into
drainage structures including ditches
(shown above).
• Do not use water bodies as dumping
grounds.
• Grasscycle, or don't bag your clippings,
leave clippings on the lawn as you mow.
When done properly, they quickly
decompose and the nutrients are recycled
back into your lawn!
• Mulch leaves back into your lawn or spread
them around your plants in fall. This provides
nutrients to your plants and reduces water
demand by retaining moisture and shading
the roots.
* Start a compost pile in your yard.
• Have your soil tested prior to buying
fertilizer to focus your efforts on what is
lacking in your soil.
• If you must use fertilizer or pesticides,
always make sure you or your lawn care
professional is using the correct amount
and following all instructions for proper
application, storage and disposal.
• Sweep excess lawn care F�
chemicals from paved areas f E P T I 117 R,
back into the lawn, don't
wash them away.
• Chose slow release fertilizers
to reduce the chances of contaminating
stormwater.
Additional Ways to Help
Reduce your lawn area and plant trees
and native plants that don't require as
much maintenance.
• Do not overwater your lawn, as this creates
additional runoff.
• Direct downspouts away
from paved surfaces to
vegetated areas.
• Install a rain barrel to
collect and reuse water.
• Create a rain garden to
allow water to spread out and have time
to soak into the ground instead of
becoming stormwater runoff.
• Always pick up pet waste
and dispose of bagged pet
waste in the trash.
Volunteer with us! You can mark storm
drains with "no dumping" to educate
others.