As of June 1, 2008 the township mini-dump will no longer accept grass clippings. The NJDEP Division of Solid Waste Management, Office of Recycling, has been recommending since 1991 that you should “Cut It and Leave It.” The clippings will biodegrade at the soil surface providing nitrogen and organic matter. Also, refuse disposal costs have dramatically increased, and some landfills no longer accept grass clippings. Collected clippings become anaerobic very quickly because of their high demand for oxygen. After becoming anaerobic they emit strongly unpleasant odors. Therefore, grass clippings (in quantity) are difficult to handle and to process.

For more information and suggestions on handling grass clippings, contact Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension Division at Cook College – www.rce.rutgers.edu. or click on the link for the Rutgers Fact Sheet here.