Joplin residential leaf pickup program to begin earlier

(From the City of Joplin)

This year the City of Joplin will begin the Residential Leaf Pick Up Program two weeks earlier, in hopes of beating the colder, wet weather that Mother Nature and Old Man Winter bring us in December. The program will begin on Monday, November 17, weather permitting, instead of the traditional first Monday after Thanksgiving.

For residents that wish to dispose of leaves now, bring them to the Joplin Compost Facility next to the Turkey Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant at 6457 Eddy Lane, which is west of the intersection of Eddy and North Peace Church Avenue. No brush, tree limbs, bags, or trash, please.

One alternative to leaf disposal is home composting. To create compost simply put leaves, grass, and meat-free kitchen scraps in your compost bin, keep it moist, stirring the mixture will speed up the decomposition process, and then harvest the finished compost from the bottom of the bin. Finished compost should be available in approximately two seasons and produces a free organic fertilizer.

Mary Anne Phillips, the city’s Recycling Coordinator, encourages the use of compost instead of non-organic fertilizers and chemicals on lawns and gardens. Compost can be tilled into the soil thus making the plants healthy and less susceptible to diseases and insects, which reduces the need for chemicals. Run off of chemical based fertilizers and pesticides can harm our water bodies.

The easiest alternative to leaf disposal is to rake the leaves onto the lawn and run over them with a mulching lawnmower!

Not-so-earth-friendly alternatives for leaf disposal include setting out bagged leaves for the regular weekly trash service or burning the leaves. For rules and pricing regarding burn permits, contact the Joplin Fire Department at 623-0403, or visit the web site www.joplinmofire.org.

To view the City's Recycling Guide....