Green Waste Collection Policy – Town of Kirkland Highway Department
The Town of Kirkland Highway Department will pick up reasonable quantities of green waste throughout the summer months.
It is not a service we are specifically required to provide, nor do we budget for it.
- We provide this as a courtesy when we are not performing required highway maintenance work.
- This service is not an extension of landscape and tree services.
- Please do not hire contractors to place large piles of debris for collection by the town highway department.
- There is no set schedule. We begin on one end of town and continue until we have covered all roads, then start again. The frequency is dependent upon the volume of debris and the time we are able to dedicate. Sometimes we can cover the town in 3 days, other times it takes us 5 weeks. Because we can’t forecast the amount of brush out for collection, it is impossible to provide and adhere to a schedule.
- The reason there is no set schedule is because sometimes we can pick the entire town in a week, and other times it takes us six weeks to get through the town once. It all depends on the volume of brush placed out for collection.
- To cover the town one time, the distance is equal to driving from Clinton to Newark, NJ.
What We Pick Up
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- Branches & woody debris left roadside.
- Hedge clippings, leaves, and other small items must be placed in recyclable paper bags.
What We Do NOT Pick Up
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- Animal feces in bags. (This is unsanitary and must not be included.)
- Piles of dirt, rocks, and similar materials.
- Debris placed in the road. (It is illegal and your liability if an incident occurs.)
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Important Notes
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- Never blow grass clippings into the road.
- These can be injurious or lethal to cyclists.
- State highways (Rt. 12, Rt. 233, Rt. 5, etc.) and county roads (Brimfield St., Kellogg St., Fountain St., etc.)
- These high-traffic roads require specific work zones and traffic control. If we lack the staffing to meet legal requirements, we may skip these roads and continue collection on lower-volume roads.
- Once collected, we stockpile debris at our yard. When space runs out, we hire a company to grind the material into chips for fill. However, disposal is becoming increasingly challenging due to cost constraints.
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Do not place debris in the road. It is against the law and is your liability if there is an
incident
Green waste collection is a service we would like to continue providing, but due to increased debris quantities, reduced staffing, and budget constraints, it is becoming a challenge to maintain this service.