By Matt Defusco

Published: Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 5:38 p.m.
Updated: Saturday, October 20, 2012

With fall here, knowing what do with leaves and where to put them is a timely issue for Cranberry residents.

The Municipal Solid Waste Service program — started in 2004 — is one of the most popular programs for the area, said Lorin Meeder, the township's environmental programs coordinator.

“People see the value in it.”

Residents are charged $16 per month for this service that becomes more obviously necessary as leaves begin to crowd the lawns of homeowners.

The fee covers a variety of collection services, but most importantly, it covers the convenience of being able to dispose of leaf waste on the same day as regular garbage pickup from April through December.

Cranberry collected almost 3,000 tons of total yard waste last year with the most being collected from September through November.

However, officials stress that leaves must be bagged in biodegradable leaf bags, as they will be taken to a compost site in Murrysville.

In order to be picked up, the leaves must be in the biodegradable bags or in a 96-gallon trash receptacle.

Biodegradable bags can be purchased at the municipal center, 2525 Rochester Road, where five bags cost $2. Bags also are sold in local hardware stores.

Meeder said residents may not burn their yard waste as it is a violation of the municipal solid-waste ordinance.

“The only thing you're really allowed to burn in Cranberry is a campfire with people singing ‘Kumbaya' around it,” Meeder said. The municipality also allows ceremonial fires.

Matt DeFusco is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-849-1482 or mdefusco@tribweb.com.

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