Yard, Garden, and Food Waste
How to Dispose of Your Organic Waste
First, the categories of organics:
- Leaves
- Brush and tree trimmings
- Grass clippings
- Garden residue
- Food waste.
Each category requires different handling, preparation and conditions for composting which results in different collection and composting methods. There are also different regulations for composting leaf, brush and tree trimmings, grass clippings and garden residues than there are for composting food waste.
Leaves, Brush and Tree Trimmings: Seasonal Collection by Townships
The disposal of leaf, brush and tree trimmings is handled by your township, which posts information on its website. These organic materials are composted or chipped and made into mulch which keeps this material out of the landfill.
If you live in the Borough of State College, they have weekly brush collection and seasonal leaf collection. Check their website for more details. The borough also provides weekly compost collection in the green carts, and that can include small brush and grass clippings in addition to food scraps.
No leaves or brush are accepted with your trash. Do not place these, either loose or bagged, in your refuse cart.
Grass Clippings
- No grass clippings are accepted with your trash. Do not place these, either loose or bagged, in your refuse cart.
Click here to find out what to do with grass clippings
Other Yard Wastes
Other Yard Wastes includes weeds, spent plants, pine cones, apples, and acorns. This does not include brush, logs, branches, leaves, or grass clippings. Because other yard wastes as defined above are unable to be collected by the townships' leaf and brush collection machinery, you may place small, bagged amounts of this material in your refuse cart.
You can also drop this material off for free at the Hawbaker Recycling Center at 110 Industrial Drive during their normal operating hours. This material will be added to the compost rows, so this is a much better way of managing these materials than sending them to the landfill.
Weekly Curbside Organics Collection
Currently there is no weekly curbside organics collection for the households in COG's Refuse and Recycling service area (Benner, College, Harris, Ferguson and Patton townships). Weekly Curbside Organics Collection occurs ONLY in State College Borough.
Food Waste
Food Waste accounts for 21.5% of the total tonnage in U.S. landfills, and produces 8% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, a recent study by Penn State found that in America we throw away an average of $240 per year per person discarding food we've purchased.
Click here to learn about Reducing Your Food Waste.