Tip Sheet: The annual dilemma of leaf disposal

University of Michigan civil and environmental engineering Prof. Emeritus Eugene Glysson has seen the full range of yard waste disposal concerns in his more than 40 years of teaching about solid waste and sanitation.

In the past, Glysson says, cities allowed residents to burn leaves at the curbside or to have them hauled to landfills. Curbside leaf burning damaged the asphalt; the smoke annoyed or sickened some people. Now, yard wastes are prohibited in landfills. Many cities offer a leaf collection program in which residents rake leaves in the streets for city workers to remove. Glysson says these leaves may interfere with or clog storm sewer systems as well as create traffic hazards.

According to Glysson, over time nature degrades leaves, but many people are reluctant to let nature take its course in their yards. At his house, Glysson composts leaves and grass clippings and spreads the resulting humus over his garden.

Meanwhile, leaf disposal is an annual problem homeowners and cities continue to deal with.

For more information, or to interview Glysson, call him at (734) 763-5069.