Five Ways Residents Can Help Manage Their Yard Debris

Much of what is bagged for disposal can be composted and reused in your yard.

Due to recent staffing shortages, the City is working hard to keep up with yard debris collection while prioritizing household waste pickup in the black trash cans. Residents can do several things to help during this busy season to remove yard debris, or better yet, reuse it back in your yard!

The average Virginia Beach resident generates 650 pounds of compostable waste every year. Much of what is bagged for disposal can be composted and reused. Here are five ways residents can help with managing their yard waste while improving the quality of their lawn.

Grasscycling

Mulch mow and leave those grass clippings on your lawn after mowing. This is one of the simplest ways to recycle yard waste because it eliminates an unnecessary step — bagging and removing the clippings. Leaving those cut blades of grass in place lowers the need to fertilize and saves water because the clippings hold moisture on your lawn.

Composting

Yard waste and food scraps make up 28% of what we throw away. Backyard composting is easy and gives new life to your tree debris and grass clippings. Yard waste and food scraps make up 28% of what we throw away. Backyard composting is easy and gives new life to your tree debris and grass clippings. The Virginia Cooperative Extension offers some helpful tips and steps on how to make compost from yard waste.

DIY Mulch

Spread a thin layer of mulched leaves, grass, and small woodchips at the base of your plants. This will help enrich the soil while regulating the temperature.

Leaf Mowing

Instead of raking leaves, allow fallen leaves to feed your trees, enrich the soil, and provide winter protection of roots and insects.

Resource Recovery

Bring your woody tree debris to the City’s Landfill and Resource Recovery Center. There, the woody limbs will be mulched and used throughout the city’s parks by Landscape Services. Neighbors who have trucks can help neighbors in need by offering to take yard debris bags and limbs to the landfill.

If these options are not ideal for you, residents can temporarily bag their clippings and put inside the black trash cans for pickup. This is a temporary solution while the City works to address the staffing shortage in Waste Management. Thank you and we appreciate your patience.