Dispose of Fall Leaves and Yard Waste Properly

With temperate weather often lasting well into December, there’s still time clean up leaves in your yard. But what to do with them? Prince William County Public Works and the Virginia Cooperative Extension Prince William Unit have the answers.

• Set aside a place in your landscape where leaves can be left undisturbed such as under trees or in appropriate landscaped beds. Leaving leaves will help to form a protective layer for all types of wildlife from turtles to butterflies while providing a natural mulch to protect plant roots and provide valuable organic matter to create healthy soil.  Leaves can also be mulched or shredded in garden beds or the lawn for a no-cost and low effort natural fertilizer that breaks down more quickly. Learn more at bit.ly/VCEPW-LeafMgmt and xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leaves.
• Compost leaves and other yard waste is another way to clean up your yard while benefitting the environment. If you’re not ready to make your own compost, you can take your yard waste to the Prince William County Landfill or Balls Ford Road Compost Facility. Learn more about composting at pwcva.gov/news/fall-composting-produces-healthy-outcomes.
• Be sure to prevent leaves from clogging the storm drain system by blowing or raking them away from the street and into a centralized location. Leaves blown or raked into the streets can enter storm inlets and clog them during significant rain events, which lead to water back ups, flooded properties and flooded roadways. In addition, yard waste should not be discarded into or around our stream and waterways as contaminated yard waste can harm water quality. For more information visit pwcva.gov/department/environmental-services/illicit-discharge.
• Properly collect leaves as yard waste. When you do dispose of leaves and yard waste, you must separate it from regular trash from March through December. You can also take yard waste to the county landfill or Balls Ford Compost Facility, where it will be composted. Find out more about yard waste collection at pwcva.gov/department/solid-waste-management/yard-waste.

Taking these steps will benefit the environment, prevent flooding and turn your yard waste into a useful resource for the community