Yard Waste Disposal
Handle your yard waste the right way
It may not seem intuitive, but yard waste can cause pollution. You are required to manage it properly. Placing it near ditches and roads, or creeks and the lake is illegal and causes pollution.
Leaves, grass clippings, and other yard waste piled near ditches, roads, or water can:
Cause flooding and cost money by plugging storm drains and culverts.
Degrade water quality and harm fish and wildlife because pollution from excess nutrients causes oxygen depletion in the lake.
Harm native habitat and vegetation by spreading invasive species.
Best choices for yard waste management:
Use FoodPlus! curbside service from Sanitary Service Company for yard waste, food scraps, and more. (360) 734-3490 www.ssc-inc.com
Take it to Recycling and Disposal Services (RDS) at 4916 Labounty Dr., Ferndale, WA 98248. (360) 384-8011 www.rdsdisposal.com
Take it to Green Earth Technology at 774 Meadowlark Dr., Lynden, WA 98264. (360) 354-4936 www.greenearthtechnology.com
Other yard waste management info:
A note about composting at home: A well-managed at-home compost pile can be a good option for disposing of yard waste. But Lake Whatcom is sensitive to nutrients from compost piles and compost use.
If you live in the Lake Whatcom watershed, the best option for water quality protection is to dispose of yard waste offsite using one of the options listed above. If you do practice home composting, please ensure that your compost is covered and contained to prevent leaching of nutrients to local water bodies.
A note about mulching mowers: In most areas of the county mulching mowers are a great option and return nutrients to the soil where they feed your lawn. But in the Lake Whatcom watershed excess phosphorus in the mulched clippings ends up in the lake where it feeds algae blooms, harming water quality and fish. If you live in the Lake Whatcom watershed, please choose one of the options listed above.