Notice to Commercial Vendors

Posted May 10, 2012:  Due to an abundance of brush at the City of Paducah Compost Facility located at 1560 North 8th Street, starting today and until further notice, the facility will no longer accept brush and yard waste from commercial vendors.  Paducah and McCracken County residents can continue to bring yard waste to the facility.  The City apologizes for any inconvenience.    

Yard Waste Collection 

The City of Paducah provides yard waste collection to residents as a part of their monthly service charge for solid waste collection.  Leaves and grass clippings should be bagged, not to exceed 40 pounds.  Branches and brush should be bundled in bundles not greater than 48 inches in length and not exceed 50 pounds in weight.  All yard waste shall be placed at your point of pick up and will be collected within five working days of your scheduled day of pick up.  Large tree limbs, stumps and trunks are special collections which may be scheduled.  There could be a minimal charge for these services.  For more information, contact the Engineering-Public Works Department at 444-8567.

Compost Facility

McCracken County and City of Paducah residents may also drop off their yard waste at our yard wate recycling center and compost facility  located at 1560 North 8th Street.  The City of Paducah operates a yard waste/biosolids recycling center.  This compost facility accepts green waste such as bagged or loose leaves, tree trimmings, and brush.  This green waste is used as a bulking agent with biosolids from the wastewater treatment plant to produce an enriched soil amendment.

To dispose of a live Christmas tree, the City of Paducah urges residents to recycle by taking the tree to the Compost Facility located at 1560 North 8th Street during regular business hours.  The facility is open Monday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  It will be closed on December 23 through 26 and December 30 through January 2.  Please remove all lights, garland, and ornaments before taking the tree to the Compost Facility.  Residents also can dispose of trees by placing them next to their garbage.

Yard Waste/Biosolids Recycling Process

Composted biosolids are the combination of the solids produced during the wastewater treatment process and a bulking agent such as wood chips, ground yard waste, leaves, and/or saw dust.  These are blended together and placed in windrows to produce the optimum environment for natural microbial breakdown and digestion.

The benefit of using properly treated biosolids is that it increases the organic matter content of the soil.  This can improve the overall performance of the soil.  Compost contains nutrients that, when returned to the soil, are used by the plants. This is nature's way of recycling.  The composted biosolids may be used as a surface dressing on yards or around plants or incorporated directly into the soil.

Compost holds up to 6 times its own weight in water.  Soil with a healthy amount of organic matter soaks up water like a sponge and regulates the water supply to the plants.  On the other hand, a soil with a poor amount of organic matter resists water penetration, leading to crusting, erosion, and flooding.

Although compost is considered a soil conditioner, rather than a fertilizer, it contains both plant nutrients and essential trace elements.  Some chemical fertilizers release them before plants derive much benefit; so quickly that rain can leach the elements. In compost, most of the nitrogen and phosphorus are held in organic forms and slowly released making them available throughout the growing season.

Compost can be used as a soil amendment in flower pots, flower beds, roses, blooming bulbs, vegetables, starting a lawn, maintaining a lawn, gardens, berries, ornamental shrubs, and around trees.

The product has an approximate thirty-day processing period after which it is tested to meet federal and state requirements.  Before composted biosolids can be distributed, the finished compost is tested for metal concentrations and pathogen removal which must meet stringent state and federal regulations. Quality control at the compost facility is directed by rigid state and federal regulations and the commitment by the City of Paducah to produce a quality produce.

Christmas Tree Recycling

To dispose of a live Christmas tree, the City of Paducah urges residents to recycle by taking the tree to the Compost Facility located at 1560 North 8th Street during regular business hours.  The facility is open Monday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  It will be closed on December 23 through 26 and December 30 through January 2.  Please remove all lights, garland, and ornaments before taking the tree to the Compost Facility.  Residents also can dispose of trees by placing them next to their garbage.

Waste Stream Reduction/Recycling 

Through this composting operation the City of Paducah is reducing the waste stream by over 23%. This diversion occurs from the yard waste as well as the biosolids from the wastewater treatment process.

The City of Paducah also offers a corrugated cardboard recycling program for local businesses. The cardboard is collected and recycled at the GPS-Recycle Now facility. This amounts to approximately a 3% reduction in our waste stream.

The combination of these recycling programs amounts to over a 26% reduction in our waste stream. This surpasses the states goals for reduction and recycling set in 1997 of 25%.  Click -Recycling- to learn more about recycling in the City of Paducah.

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