A greener approach to leaf collections

[19/11/04]

BATH & North East Somerset Council have taken a new approach to street sweeping this autumn by sending the leaves that are collected to be composted rather than throwing them away with all the street sweepings.

This brand new initiative will help to reduce the amount of organic waste being sent to landfill and will produce a useful product that can be used for agricultural and other uses.

The leaves are being collected using biodegradable bags that can be composted along with the leaves. These will be stored separately at the depot, along with the leaves collected from the mechanical sweepers. Once enough have been collected they will be taken to local sites where they are made into compost.

Composting is becoming increasingly important as there are more and more restrictions being put on the amount of organic waste that can be sent to landfill.

This is because when organic waste rots down it gives off gases that are damaging to the atmosphere.

As a result, councils will be facing restrictions on the amount of material that can be landfilled in the future, making composting a necessary alternative.

Bath and North East Somerset Council offer residents a number of ways in which they can compost their waste as an alternative to disposal including compost bin offers and garden waste and cardboard collections.