Waste management encompasses an array of activities designed to dispose of garbage materials effectively. Solid waste is classified based on its source, composition, and potential hazards.
Residents with poly carts must make sure their carts are positioned appropriately at the curb to avoid being blocked by other objects or obstructions! Truck arms cannot reach into poly carts placed sideways or backward, as the components cannot pick it up and transport it safely.
Tree Debris
Tree debris is an essential part of nature and provides important sources of nutrition, but it can quickly become an eyesore on residential properties when left accumulating. You should, therefore, make an effort to regularly remove any build-up in your yard as it will eventually cause structural damage or compromise your home’s structural integrity if left alone, plus pose fire risks and block waterways if left too long before disposing of this waste with our North Central Solid Waste Service.
At our weekly curbside collection service throughout the parish, household garbage is collected in brown containers while trash and recycling debris are taken to Neighborhood Depository/Recycling Centers at no additional charge to residents for recycling or disposal.
At home, in addition to your household garbage and trash collection, up to four cubic yards of yard debris may also be set out each week for collection. Yard waste includes grass clippings, grass cuttings, limbs, twigs, leaves, and palm fronds associated with personal residential yard maintenance projects, as well as small debris associated with personal residential yard upkeep – however, any items from land clearing activities or large improvement projects (like decks or swimming pools ) do not fall under this definition and will therefore NOT be picked up.
To qualify as yard waste, debris must be cut into pieces no larger than four feet long or 50 lbs in weight (4/50 rule). You should separate your yard waste from trash and garbage before placing it out for collection on its designated service day, keeping it neatly contained within four cubic yards to allow efficient collection service. It should not be placed near storm grates/storm drains, water meters/gas meters, cable/phone boxes, or mailboxes, nor within 5 feet of low-hanging trees/utility wires.
LLLA suggests hiring a professional tree removal service to deal with larger debris. Their experts will chip it and either reuse it for mulch or burn it (if permitted). You could save money by removing roots, trunks, and stumps yourself, using logs from them as campfire starters, or grinding the stumps into ground cover plants in your landscape.
Yard Waste
Yard waste includes grass clippings, leaves, shrubbery trimmings, and small limbs that have no clear home in compost bins or gardens; additionally, the City offers weekly curbside collection at no additional charge of any extra bags or bundles of yard waste that exceed 40 pounds that fall between 6 feet of curbside pickup for this material on regular collection days, provided they do not exceed 6 feet from their curbside by 6 AM on the day of pickup. Residents should compost grass clippings, if possible, to help fertilize lawns instead. All other yard waste should be placed in clear plastic or paper bags within 6 feet of the curbside on regular pickup days between 6 am and 6 am so it is collected systematically each month.
Losing loose yard waste to local storm drains and entering our waterways without being properly treated or disposed of can have detrimental impacts, often created by landscape maintenance companies or homeowners who sweep or blow their yards clean of this material. In the City, its yard waste collection service transports it directly to a commercially run landfill for disposal.
The City provides weekly collection service for residential yard waste. Its collection truck features a dump body equipped with a scoop that empties City-provided rollout garbage carts as well as a hopper for collecting yard waste; up to ten containerized yard waste items may be collected weekly per single-family residence.
Containers used for yard waste collection by the City can include its bin, portable trash cans with tight lids, or 35-gallon personal containers (no more than 50 lbs in weight). Unfortunately, we will not collect yard debris from wheelbarrows, drums, trailers, tarps, or large piles of rubble.
Due to new legislation surrounding household hazardous waste, residents may be confused as to what can and cannot be placed into their garbage. Please be aware that non-rechargeable alkaline batteries do not pose a health or environmental risk during everyday use or disposal and can, therefore, be safely disposed of with regular trash collection.
Household Hazardous Waste
Many household products, such as paints, pool chemicals, cleaners, batteries, and pesticides, contain ingredients considered hazardous. When left behind in the form of household hazardous waste (HHW) leftovers, they should not be dumped in a trash can, thrown on the ground, or flushed down a drain but instead brought directly to a collection facility or event for proper disposal. Otherwise, they can pollute the environment, harm humans and animals, and pollute water supplies and air supplies if mishandled.
Most counties offer household hazardous waste (HHW) programs with permanent collection facilities staffed and unstaffed, in addition to regularly scheduled or biannual collection events. Visit your county website to locate an HHW program near you.
Some items are prohibited at the Household Hazardous Waste facility. Examples include explosives, radioactive materials, and biologically active or infectious waste. It is the responsibility of the HHW supervisor to educate residents on which materials can be accepted at their facility, as well as offer alternative disposal solutions when items such as these arrive at their facility.
A great way to reduce household hazardous waste (HHW) is to buy only what is necessary and use up products before disposing of them. Store chemicals in an excellent, dry location out of reach of children and pets; follow all safety instructions listed on their labels when working with any product; be sure there is sufficient ventilation; don’t inhale fumes directly onto skin or eyes; always wash hands/tools afterward as well as refraining from eating, drinking or smoking while handling this substance.
Bring your Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) to an annual or year-round drop-off location as often as possible; this will reduce wait times and improper disposal. If unable to do this, stores that accept paints, batteries, and fluorescent bulbs for recycling might take some items; visit these websites to learn more.
Latex Paint
Latex paints do not fall under the purview of hazardous waste regulations, yet it remains vital that they are managed and stored appropriately to minimize any possible health, safety, or environmental impacts.
Paint collection programs are one effective means of reducing paint waste. Hosted by community groups, local governments, waste management companies, and other organizations – participants usually bring their unwanted or unused latex paint containers directly to these events.
Before embarking on any program, it is wise to provide participants with a technical bulletin that outlines all available management solutions for latex paint and what materials may be accepted, such as empty cans and containers.
An informative technical bulletin can ensure the success of a paint collection program in any community. Not only will this keep hazardous materials out of landfills, but participants will be able to utilize any unwanted or excess paint appropriately.
Latex paints are the go-to choice for interior walls and surfaces that need painting, providing superior coverage while being easier to clean up than oil-based options. Due to these benefits, latex is typically chosen over oil-based alternatives for both home and commercial projects alike.
Before choosing latex paint for interior or exterior projects, ensure your workspace is well-ventilated with appropriate breathing equipment and open doors or windows to improve airflow. Furthermore, use a quality primer before beginning any latex painting job to ensure long-term and smooth results.
If you have excess latex paint, make sure it dries prior to disposal. A simple way is by taking these steps: taking off the lid, allowing air into the container, and stirring in an absorbent material like kitty litter or sand before discarding the mixture in the regular trash bin.
Rather than disposing of your excess latex paint yourself, consider giving it to a neighbor or community group in need. Donations could go to youth and church campgrounds, storm drain stencilers, housing advocates, civic organizations, or graffiti removal teams.
