Posted on August 01, 2024
An unusually high volume of yard waste that experts say is the result of a uniquely severe storm season in central Iowa is arriving at the Metro Waste Authority.
The waste management company said they've received 2,600 additional tons of tree debris, grass clippings, and other organic material so far this year compared to the same date in 2023. At the same time, communities that rely on Metro Waste Authority services have been cleaning up damage since the first round of high winds and tornadic weather rolled through Polk County, offering debris pick-up services throughout the process.
Once taken from the curbside of homes, many of the branches and broken tree limbs are handed over to Metro Waste Authority. However, instead of taking it to a landfill, the material is being processed.
"In about a four month of time, we (convert) yard waste into compost," Metro Waste Authority deputy director Leslie Irlbeck said. "This is a form of recycling. A lot of people think of their cardboard and plastic bottles as recycling, but essentially taking your yard debris of any kind, keeping it out of the landfill preserves landfill space."
As of Wednesday night, the tree debris from the initial rounds of severe storms impacting the metro area are processed as compost and ready to fertilize new plants.
"It's unfortunate what caused some of that surplus of material," Irlbeck said. "But it's the story of going full circle, of accepting material from residents and then being able to provide them a finished product."