Brampton and Mississauga residents who receive curbside waste collection services can find their summer yard waste schedule and calendar on page 6 of their 2009/2010 Waste Management Guide, which was delivered to all households in April. The schedule and calendar are also available at http://www.peelregion.ca/waste/. In addition, mobile road signs and advertisements in local community newspapers will inform residents of the change.  

"We would like residents to set out yard waste only on their designated waste collection day during their scheduled yard waste collection week," says Norman Lee, Director of Waste Management. "Residents who use the services of a landscape company should inform the company of the summer yard waste schedule so they can co-ordinate the timing of their service delivery."

Residents can reduce yard waste by taking these steps:

• Put grass clippings in your backyard composter.
• Don't over-water your lawn. A healthy lawn only requires half an inch of water (including rainfall), twice per week, to stay healthy.
• Leave grass clippings on the lawn to return water and nutrients to the soil. Grass clippings are a nitrogen fertilizer and when they decompose, they release nutrients back into the lawn.

Mulching your grass is a simple and convenient way to reduce yard waste. When mulching your grass, follow these guidelines:

• Mow high. The ideal grass height is 5 to 7.5 centimetres (2 to 3 inches).
• Keep your mower blades sharp.
• Mow when the grass is dry.
• Use any kind of mower. It isn't necessary to use a mulching mower, although the smaller clippings produced by a mulching mower will decompose more quickly.

When setting yard waste at the curb, please place yard waste in labelled, open, rigid and reusable containers; bushel baskets; or paper yard waste bags.

Yard waste can also be dropped off at the Region's Community Recycling Centres. A $2 flat rate applies for loads up to and including 25 kilograms. A fee of 8¢ per kilogram applies for loads greater than 25 kilograms. Please refer to your 2009/2010 Waste Management Guide or www.peelregion.ca/waste for the location of a Community Recycling Centre near you.

Weekly yard waste collection will resume Oct. 5, 2009.

The Region of Peel provides waste management services in the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga and in the Town of Caledon.  For more information on these programs call the Region of Peel at 905-791-9499 or in long-distance areas of Caledon call 905-584-2216, free of charge. Visit http://www.peelregion.ca/waste/