Soft and Woody Yard Waste

Managing Grass Clippings and Mosquitoes

Soft or Woody Yard Waste?

Are you confused about the difference between soft yard waste and woody yard waste? Or why they are collected separately? Soft yard waste and wood yard waste are processed separately for collection and further processing. Soft yard waste includes grass, leaves, flowers, weeds and soft clippings that are less than ½” in diameter. After collection, it’s then processed into Smartleaf® compost. Soft yard waste is picked up on your regularly scheduled collection day (from mid-January until the end of October). Woody yard waste includes branches, brush, small logs greater that ½” in diameter, and shrubs; these are processed into wood mulch. Woody yard waste is collected year-round on Thursday and Friday by appointment only. Please email publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov or call 240-487-3590 to schedule a collection. New rules on how to properly prepare your material for collection: Separate soft material from woody material. Place each type of source separated material in a separate container.

Use paper yard waste bags, the beige yard waste cart, or personal reusable containers* for either type of material. *Personal containers must have a yellow City yard waste sticker; free stickers are available at the Department of Public Works.
Bundles of woody material must be no more than 4 feet long and comprised of individual branches up to 4 inches in diameter.
Individual bundles must not exceed 2 feet in diameter or weigh more than 50 pounds and must be tied with biodegradable material.
Logs must be cut into 12-inch sections and no more than 12 inches in diameter. A maximum of 25 logs will be collected at a scheduled pick-up.
Do not use plastic bags or City-issued refuse or recycling carts.
Place at the curb by 7:00 a.m.
Soft and Woody Yard Waste that is oversized and requires the use of a crane will be charged at a cost of $100 per collection, per hour.
Material improperly set out for collection will not be collected.

Mosquito Spraying is Cancelled

The City of College Park cooperates with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to identify and control mosquito populations. MDA has cancelled the spray portion of their program for this season. Residents can still report high populations of mosquitos via MDA’s online form: https://www.doit.state.md.us/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=740Kl54#.

MDA personnel will continue their monthly larviciding treatments to known areas of standing water to control mosquito larva by preventing development into adult mosquitos. You may still see private contractors who are hired by property owners to perform mosquito control spray applications to their yard which may take place during daylight hours. Take control of mosquitoes in your yard:

It takes a community working together to control the mosquito population. Mosquitoes may carry zika, west nile, dengue fever, chikungunya and heartworm in cats and dogs. Mosquitoes thrive in warm weather, but there are several things you can do to remove mosquito habitat from your yard.

Dump and drain: If it holds standing water for longer than a few days, flip it over or drain it out (tires, tarps, animal bowls, flower pots, toys, wading pools). Dunk: If you can’t dump it or drain it (birdbaths, fish-ponds, persistent puddles) put mosquito dunks or mosquito torpedoes in the water. They kill the mosquito larva and do no harm to other species. Screen: Corrugated drainpipes are a mosquito breeding ground! Tie stretchable nylon (pantyhose) around the ends or replace with smooth PVC which doesn’t hold water.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s website has a wealth of information on mosquito control, visit their website at https://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Pages/mosquito_control.aspx or call them at 410-841-5870.

Keep Grass Clippings Off The Street!

As you take care of your lawn this season, do not sweep or blow grass and leaves into the street. Lawn clippings and debris that are left in the street wash into storm drains and storm sewers, potentially clogging them, which may result in flooding. Debris that washes into storm sewers is transported through local waterways and eventually to the Chesapeake Bay, threatening aquatic life and drinking water quality.

Instead, you can leave the cut grass on the lawn to recycle the nutrients or start a compost pile in your backyard (visit http://mda.maryland.gov/resource_conservation/Documents/tip4.pdf for a brochure from the Maryland Department of Agriculture.) You may also place clippings in paper bags or reusable containers for weekly curbside pickup on the same day as your trash and recycling collection.