How much $$ can LELE actually save?

How much time and costs savings are actually possible at a municipal level from the reduction in County yard waste tipping fees, labor overtime, fuel & transportation costs, specialized equipment purchase and maintenance, prevention of storm drain clogging, etc.? Potential savings estimates range from $100k to over $750k at a municipal level, depending upon the municipality:

Municipality	Fall Cleanup (Est. Budget)
Irvington	$130k
Dobbs Ferry	$130k
Tarrytown	$175k
Greenburgh	$350k
Yonkers	$650k
Scarsdale	$760k
New Rochelle	$835k

Note that these figures are estimates for budget spending for all organic yard waste handling. In actuality, a municipality should reasonable target a reduction of perhaps 50%-60% in budgetary costs due to continued handling of leaves and grass clippings in common areas and public easements. (Maximum possible savings will vary by municipality.)

County Statistics
During the Fall season (Oct-Dec), over 90% of all organic yard waste handled in the County is leaves. Over 60,000 tons of leaves! During the Summer months (May-Sept), 50% of yard waste is grass clippings. Over 38,000 tons. Removal of such yard waste from the County's waste stream could reduce total tonnage processed and transported out of the county by half! That's potentially a $4 Million savings.*

*Estimates supplied by the Westchester County DEF (Department of Environmental Facilities) based upon metrics gathered during 2010. See details in this report on Organic Waste Transfer.

What are some "best practices" that can benefit my landscape?

As the LELE initiative affirms, recycling organic yard debris on-site saves municipal tax dollars spent on collection and processing. There are many ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle grass clippings, leaves, brush and branches, and organic kitchen scraps.

Effective yard debris management reduces waste, recycles organic materials, and can help to beautify one's property.

What is GreenScaping?

GreenScaping encompasses a set of landscaping practices that can improve the health and appearance of your lawn and garden while protecting and preserving natural resources.