FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
It’s finally autumn in the Ozarks. As pretty-colored leaves begin to crunch and pumpkins on your porch start to shrivel, Springfield Environmental Services wants you to know your options for cleanup. And they involve a BIG smash!
To celebrate the height of the season and say thanks to the community, Environmental Services will host a customer appreciation event Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Yardwaste Recycling Center (3790 S. Farm Road 119). Free coffee, doughnuts and other giveaways will be available to recyclers 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. with special pumpkin smashing activities provided from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Bring your pumpkins and gourds and choose their fate through a variety of activities. Take a swing with a sledgehammer, toss it as far as you can for a chance at a prize, or from 1 – 2 p.m., share it with our sky drop pumpkin lift – courtesy of the Springfield Fire Department.
The YRC accepts organic fall decorations through Nov. 30, including pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks and hay bales. All organic items are processed and turned into compost, available for purchase at all City recycling center locations.
“It’s such a waste to pitch pumpkins in the trash,” explains Ashley Krug, Sustainability and Market Development Coordinator. “They end up in the landfill, where they take years to fully break down when they could be processed into rich compost to help support next year’s harvest or give your lawn a boost. If you’re not going to turn it into a pie, add it to your own compost bin or come give it a smash!”
Smash at your own risk. There is no limit to the number of pumpkins you can bring
Fall yardwaste disposal services offered by the City’s Solid Waste division:
Hours of operation for all centers are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday. Open 1 – 5 p.m. Sundays beginning the first Sunday in November through the first Sunday in December.
Tip: Saturdays are busy! Avoid the lines and get there before noon or visit any of the centers during their least busy times – Wednesdays and Thursdays before noon.
As a reminder, City ordinance prohibits placing yardwaste in streets, storm drains, ditches, waterways or other drainage areas. Placing yard waste in streets or drainage areas can cause flooding and waterway pollution. Residents are encouraged to manage yardwaste responsibly by mulching or composting on their own, or disposing of it at the following city-managed facilities:
The Yardwaste Recycling Center
The City’s Yardwaste Recycling Center (YRC), located at 3790 S. Farm Road 119, is the ideal location for most yardwaste disposal. The YRC accepts cut grass and leaves, as well as brush and limbs up to 4-feet-long and 6 inches in diameter. The YRC is the only location where residential brush in pickup loads and larger is accepted. Large brush and limb disposal incur a fee dependent on load size. Fees for an average car or pickup load or trailer under 8 feet are $8. For full information on brush disposal fees, visit https://www.springfieldmo.gov/491/Yardwaste-Recycling-Center.
The YRC processes grass clippings, leaves and other organics into compost and also grinds woody materials for landscaping mulch. These products are available for sale in bulk at the YRC and by bag at the Lone Pine Recycling Center.
Franklin Ave. & Lone Pine Recycling Centers
The City accepts limited amounts of brush and yardwaste at the Franklin Avenue Recycling Center, 731 N. Franklin, and at the Lone Pine Recycling Center, 3020 S. Lone Pine. The centers accept small sticks, cut grass and leaves at a limit of 10 bags. Bundles of brush must be no more than 18 inches in diameter with branches less than two inches in diameter, cut no longer than four feet in length. Loads above the size and quantity limits will be referred to the YRC. Recycling is free, but suggested honor system fees and donations are encouraged at all facilities.
Visit springfieldmo.gov/recycling for information regarding hours of operation, locations and materials accepted or call the Recycling Hotline at 417-864-1904.
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For more information, contact Communication Coordinator Kristen Milam at 573-819-3713 or [email protected].