Every autumn, nature gives us a beautiful show as the trees change color. But what to do with the leaves once they begin falling from the trees? Bartholomew County residents have more than one option to properly dispose of leaves.
If you live within the city limits of Columbus, you can participate in the Loose Leaf Collection Program. Residential leaf collection will be offered from Oct. 14 through Dec. 13. Leaves will be collected curbside (not on private streets) the same day as trash collection. Leaves need to be curbside by 7 a.m.
This program is only for loose leaves and leaves placed in bags will not be collected. Leaves should exclude any brush/limbs or trash. For more information contact the city’s sanitation department at 812-376-2509.
If you live outside of the city limits, but in the county, you can bring your leaves to the Columbus/Bartholomew County Yard Waste Site located behind the Recycling Center at 720 S. Mapleton Street. Please remove the leaves from any bags and make sure the leaves are free of debris and trash. All leaves disposed of at the Yard Waste Site are put in large piles called windrows and processed into compost.
Now is a great time to take advantage of the compost made from the leaves. Compost spread over gardens and flower beds in the fall puts nutrients back into the soil. If you load the compost yourself, it is absolutely free. We do have a loading program every Friday afternoon from 2 to 4:30 p.m. through Oct. 25. For $10, we will load your pick-up truck or small trailer with your choice of one scoop of mulch or compost. Stop by the Columbus/Bartholomew Recycling Center office to pay and get a loading ticket.
Another option that doesn’t involve raking or bagging is to mulch the leaves into your grass with a mulching lawn mower. This method improves soil quality by adding organic matter and nutrients as the leaves breakdown through nature’s recycling process.
Regardless of how you manage them, it is important to dispose of leaves properly. Leaves and other yard waste should never be put into storm drains where they can become clogged and cause localized flooding in your neighborhood. Any vegetation debris caught in storm drains ends up in rivers and streams. When vegetation rots in water, the process removes oxygen from the water and reduces overall water quality.
For more information about leaf disposal or the mulch and compost program, visit our website at bcswmd.com or call 812-376-2614.
Jessica Norcross is the education coordinator for the Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District. Contact her by email at jnorcross@bartholomew.in.gov or call 812-376-2614 to schedule a tour, program or presentation.
