Earlier this year, the City Council approved a change in the law, determining that loose piles of leaves would not be picked up at curbside any longer, at a savings of approximately $400,000 to the city.
On Tuesday, Bramson will join College of New Rochelle President Judith Huntington at 4 p.m. on the Maura Lawn to speak and demonstrate the benefits of mulch mowing, which presents an alternative to raking, bagging and transporting fallen leaves while benefiting the environment.
As of this year, leaves will be removed from curbside only if they are left for crews in biodegradable bag or in trashcans. The city will provide weekly pickup of bagged or canned leaves on Mondays at 7 a.m. in the North End and Wednesdays at the same time in the South End.
Licensed landscapers with the proper documentation will also have the opportunity to transport leaves to the city’s transfer site.
City officials have been actively encouraging homeowners to embrace mulch mowing, an environmentally conscious alternative that provides healthy nutrients for lawns and garden beds.
According to Mayor Noam Bramson, there has been backlash from both homeowners and landscapers, the latter of which have organized a campaign against the new policies, which will not be altered.
“Changing habits is almost always difficult,” he noted. “The City Council adopted this new policy for compelling reasons: improving road safety, reducing flooding, encouraging environmentally sound practices and saving tax dollars.”
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