ATTENTION UPPER LEACOCK TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS!
As of July 1, 1991, residents of Upper Leacock Township have been participating in a waste; collection program using licensed haulers which includes weekly curb side pickup of recyclable materials. This program is easy, convenient, and allows the Township to dramatically reduce the amount of trash generated and helps the county meet the state's recycling requirements.
Upper Leacock Township licenses selected haulers that operate in the Township: Licensing ensures that residents will receive uniform refuse and recycling service. Residents are required to contract with a licensed hauler for trash pick up and recycling. Please call the Township office for a list of haulers who are licensed in Upper Leacock Township.
If you do not already have a recycling bin, please stop at the Township office at 36 Hillcrest Avenue; Leola, during regular office hours to pick up a new bin. The recycling container is to be used to store recyclable materials and place them outside for pickup.
This recycling bin is only one feature of the refuse and recycling program. Other features include:
· Weekly recycling pickup - Recyclable materials must be collected by your refuse hauler once each week on the same day that your trash is collected.
· A variety of recyclable materials - You will be able to recycle glass containers, aluminum cans and all other metal food and beverage cans, and newspaper in our recycling program. Most haulers accept plastic bottles. Only bottles with a "neck" should be recycled.
· Commingled recycling collection - You will not need to separate bottles and cans by color or type, but may store those items together in your recycling bin. On collection day, put out the bin with the recyclables mixed together.
· Newspaper collection - You will need to bundle (tie with a string) or bag (in a paper bag) newspapers and put the bundle/bag on top of or to the side of the recycling bin.
Also included in the program is separate collection of tires, large appliances (white goods), and yard waste (including grass clippings and leaves). Please contact your hauler for more information about pick up of these items or take them to the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority on Harrisburg Pike. If you ask your hauler to pick up your white goods, yard waste or tires, an additional fee may be charged.
This brochure; also contains information about how to properly dispose of special wastes, such as household chemicals and batteries and items that should not be thrown away with your regular trash.
Please read this informative brochure carefully, We hope it answers your questions; If you need further information, please call us at (717) 656-9755 or stop at the Upper Leacock Township Office at 36 Hillcrest Avenue, Leola, PA 17540. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lancaster County Solid Waste Authority will also provide additional information. Contact them at 397-9968 or visit their website at www.lcswma.org.
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WHAT IS A LICENSED WASTE HAULING PROGRAM?
A licensed waste hauling program requires haulers to meet certain general conditions to conduct business within Upper Leacock Township. Among those conditions is the requirement to pick up recyclable materials separated by residents and to collect those materials on the same day of trash pick up.
WHY DID THE TOWNSHIP START SUCH A PROGRAM?
The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Plan calls for the availability of recycling to all residents in Lancaster County. Upper Leacock Township decided to implement curbside collection to provide environmentally responsible waste management opportunities to its residents. The Township considered different types of programs before deciding to license several waste haulers. This system allows the residents to choose their own haulers while guaranteeing that they receive curbside collection of recyclables. Please call the Township office for a list of licensed haulers.
WHAT SERVICES MUST MY WASTE HAULER PROVIDE?
Haulers who regularly collect trash from your home must also collect the following recyclable materials: newsprint, clear and colored glass food and beverage containers, all metal food and beverage cans, tires, and large appliances. Most haulers also accept plastic containers. Collection of newsprint, glass, and cans must be made each time your hauler picks up your trash (usually weekly); they must collect tires and appliances at least twice each year and give customers no less than 30 days notice about such collections. Each licensed hauler must schedule leaf collection at least four times annually between October 15 and
November 30. Please contact your hauler to obtain their method and schedule for leaf collection, tire, and appliance collection. Please be advised that additional fees may be assessed for pick up of leaf/yard waste, tires, and large appliances.
WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMINGLED RECYCLING PROGRAM?
There are a number of benefits to Upper Leacock Township's recycling program. Recycling helps the environment by conserving natural resources. Using materials over again, like metal and glass, conserves tremendous amounts of energy. The program is convenient because it provides recycling pick up at your curbside. Recycling can help control the future increased costs of trash service by reducing the amount of waste needing to be disposed in the County's solid waste facilities. Recycling allows these facilities to last longer.
And remember...recycling is the law. Pennsylvania law requires municipalities, like Upper Leacock Township with populations of 5000 or more, to recycle. It's that simple!
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HOW DO I PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMINGLED RECYCLING PROGRAM?
GLASS FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONTAINERS should be rinsed and lids removed. You do not need to take of the labels. Light bulbs, window and auto glass, drinking glasses and cookware are not recyclable. Only glass containers which contained food or beverages should be placed in the bin.
ALUMINUM AND ALL OTHER FOOD AND BEVERAGE CANS (which are made of steel, tin, or a combination of metals) also should be rinsed. Labels do not have to be removed from the cans. Do not crush any cans. Other aluminum products such as foil and pie plates are not acceptable.
PLASTIC BOTTLES LABELED #1 (PETE) AND #2(HDPE) should be flattened to conserve space – all caps should be removed and discarded as refuse. Other plastics such as margarine containers, yogurt containers, lids, plastic bags, etc, are not recyclable. Only bottles which have a “neck” should be recycled. Most haulers will accept these types of plastic bottles.
NEWSPAPERS should be tied in bundles or put in paper grocery bags and placed on top of or next to your recycling bin. Paper other then newspaper such as magazines and “junk mail” is not acceptable. Do not place the newspapers in plastic grocery bags. Keep newspapers dry. If it is raining on collection day, save your newspapers until the next week.
WHEN SHOULD I PUT OUT MY RECYLING BIN?
Though recycling pick up is available every time your trash is collected, please put out your recycling bin only when it is full. Consequently, recycling trucks will make fewer stops and collection will be faster. You should put out recyclable materials for collections at the same time you take out your trash.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT?
It is the responsibility of the apartment complex owner or manager, not the township to provide a recycling program for apartment dwellers. Upper Leacock Township will work with the owner/ manager of the apartment complex to promote recycling. Please be in touch with your owner/ manager to encourage a recycling program in your apartment complex if a program is not already in place.
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A Consumer’s Guide to SPECIAL WASTE DISPOSAL in Lancaster County
Many changes have come about because of the waste disposal system in Lancaster County. A number of waste haulers no longer accept certain materials. Instead of relying on just a landfill, the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, the organization responsible for disposing of the county's trash, has built a system that uses three methods of trash disposal: recycling and reduction of the amount of waste generated in the county; incineration of remaining trash in a modem waste-to-energy plant; and disposal of ash and non combustibles in a double-lined landfill.
One key to this system is taking care of certain materials, called special wastes, in ways that will not harm the county's disposal facilities. Information has been included in this brochure that will help you understand how to handle the special wastes produced in your household. You will find a number of categories of waste listed with appropriate disposal options. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority at (717) 397-9968, visit the website at www.lcswma.org, or stop at the Authority office at 1299 Harrisburg Pike in Lancaster.
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
Many materials used in the home and garden are considered household hazardous waste and must not be thrown into your trash. These substances can cause serious safety and health problems in transportation vehicles or disposal facilities. Hazardous wastes that you should not throw in your trash include:
- Auto products (transmission and brake fluids, antifreeze, used oil, batteries)
- Household cleansers, floor polish, Driveway sealant, Gasoline, kerosene
- Household batteries, Old chemistry sets, Thermostats, thermometers, and other mercury containing devices. Paints and paint-related products (stains, turpentine, thinner, rust protectant), Pesticides, herbicides, insecticides
- Photographic chemicals, pool chemicals, Fluorescent light bulbs
Dispose of these hazardous materials at the Authority's Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Please note that homeowners are not charged for this service. The facility is located at the Waste Authority's Transfer Station, 1299 Harrisburg Pike (about a mile east of the Park City Mall). Receiving hours are Monday and Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday from 8: 30 a.m. to 12:00 noon; and every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month from 7:30a.m.to 10:30 a.m.
Put materials you deliver into a box and separate and cushion the contents with newspaper. It is not necessary to bring empty containers that once held household hazardous waste to the facility: You may dispose of empty containers in your trash or recyclables. The facility only accepts materials generated in a Lancaster County residence as a result of normal household activities. Materials from businesses, schools and farms are not accepted.
AUTO AND UTIUTY VEHICLE BATTERIES
Auto and utility vehicle batteries may not be thrown away with your regular trash. They contain several toxic elements. Bring these batteries to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Harrisburg Pike. Please note: if possible, trade in your old battery when you buy a new one.
CONSTRUCTION/DEMOLITION WASTE
Generally one container of trash from construction/demolition activities can be included each week in your regular trash. If you have more than one container or you cannot fit the waste into a regular trash can or bag, try to make special collection arrangements with your trash hauler. If your trash hauler will not collect this type of waste, please deliver the trash to the Waste Authority. Call the Waste Authority at 397-9968 for further details.
YARD WASTE
Yard waste is "soft" organic material which includes grass clippings, leaves, garden residues, and sod. Yard waste is required to be collected separately. Your hauler may ask that you purchase tags to be placed on bags containing yard waste. Contact your hauler .for information about yard waste pickup.
You can help reduce or negate yard waste by doing the following:
- Consider not collecting the grass clippings. There is no reason to remove grass clippings from lawns. Clippings filter down to the soil, where they reduce water evaporation and encourage growth. Grass that decomposes acts as a natural fertilizer.
- Cut the grass more often so that the clippings do not clump together on top of the lawn. Ideal lawn height is about three inches. The rule of thumb is to remove no more than one-third of the grass blade when you cut. Invest in a mulching mower or blade which chops up clippings. Don't over fertilize or over water your lawn.
- Always be aware of water restrictions and drought emergency situations before watering your lawn.
- If you choose to collect clippings, licensed haulers in Upper Leacock Township offer separate collection programs and will deliver yard wastes to farms or composting facilities. Contact your hauler for more information).
- Some local farmers accept grass and leaves directly from residents which are then applied to crop land to add nutrients and organic material. Talk to your neighbors or farmers that reside in close proximity to your home to see who will accept yard waste. If you find a farmer that will accept yard waste, please be considerate of his/her wishes as to when, where, and what can be deposited in their fields.
- Another alternative is to reuse those organic materials yourself. Back yard composting is a method to turn your household organics into a beneficial material to reapply to your soil. Compost is a natural fertilizer and soil amendment which aids in the water holding capacity, fertility and health of the soil. Information about backyard composting can be obtained from the Waste Authority or Upper Leacock Township;
HOUSEHOLD BATTARIES
Household batteries from toys, radios, watches, hearing aids, etc., are harmful to the environment and disposal facilities and should not be thrown away in your trash.
You may dispose of household batteries at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility or you may use the orange: plastic battery collection bags provided by the Waste Authority. To obtain an orange bag, stop at the Upper Leacock Township Office at 36 Hillcrest Avenue, Leola, or the Lancaster County Waste Authority on Harrisburg Pike. Place all household batteries in the orange collection bag. When the bag is full, put it next to your refuse container(s). Your trash hauler will collect the bag during regular trash pickup.
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS
The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority is offering a new recycling service to residents and small businesses in Lancaster County. Any resident or small business that generates no more than 30 spent bulbs per month can bring them to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Harrisburg Pike. The Waste Authority accepts all types of fluorescent bulbs and ballasts which can be delivered during the Household Hazard
Waste Facility's normal hours. Visit the Waste Authority's website, www.lcswma.org, for more information.
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
The Waste Authority oversees the disposal of sludge (the solid by-product of wastewater treatment) arid septage (pumped from individual septic systems) produced in Lancaster County. The companies that haul sludge and septage may not operate in Lancaster County without a permit from the Waste Authority. That way, the Waste Authority can be certain that sludge and septage are being disposed properly. In order to maintain a septic system properly, the system should be pumped out at least every three years or more, if necessary. Make sure you use a septage hauler who has a permit from the Waste Authority. Call the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority at 397-9968 for more information.
COMPUTERS
Computers, monitors, keyboards, printers, mice, and other peripheral components, maybe delivered for recycling to the Waste Authority Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 1299 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, during normal operational hours. Residents may deliver these items at no charge. Small numbers of components will be accepted from businesses for a fee.
Call the Waste Authority at 397-9968 for prices. The Waste Authority has established a computer recycling program to properly manage this waste and divert them from waste disposal facilities. Visit the Waste Authority's website, www.lcswma.org, for more information.
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IN-HOME MEDICAL WASTE
Medical wastes generated in the home may be infectious. When thrown in the trash, they can pose a risk at curbside to the general public where bags are accessible before pickup, to the waste haulers who collect the trash, and to the waste facility operators who must dispose of the medical trash. Potentially hazardous items are:
Sharp objects, such as needles, syringes, and lancets, soiled bandages,
disposable sheets, Medical gloves
If you have only a small quantity of medical waste and want to throw it in your trash, proper disposal is important. Put needles, syringes and other similar sharp objects in hard plastic screw-top bottles (such as a bleach or detergent bottle) or a coffee can with a lid. Secure the lid with tape. Add a small amount of bleach or alcohol to disinfect any sharp objects. Place the bottle or can in your trash. Do not place the bottle/ can in your recycling container. Never put loose needles in either your trash or recycling bin. Double bag bandages, sheets and gloves in plastic bags and fasten them securely before putting them in a garbage can or bag with your other trash.
You may want to take advantage of the Waste Authority's program for handling medical waste. For $5.00, the Waste Authority will provide homeowners (and other small quantity generators, such as a doctor's office) with red buckets used for the safe disposal of medical wastes. Call the Waste Authority office at 397 -9968 for details. If you have a substantial quantity of medical waste to dispose, a safe and convenient disposal option may be to hire one of the companies that collect such materials in Lancaster County. Call the Waste Authority office for further information.
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A FINAL NOTE ABOUT YOUR TRASH SERVICE
Trash haulers act as the middlemen between residents who hire them to collect unwanted materials and the Waste Authority which is charged with the disposal of most of the trash created in Lancaster County. A number of communities in the County contract with one hauler to serve all the homes in their municipalities and more may do so In the future. A limited amount of communities in the area have a "pay per bag" system. However, in Upper Leacock Township, individuals, businesses, and apartment complex managers are and will continue to be responsible for hiring a licensed company to collect their trash. This system allows the residents and businesses the freedom to choose their own hauler which will best suit the needs of the individua1/business. A list of the licensed haulers can be obtained by calling the Upper Leacock Township office at 656-9755.
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