Trees, Tinsel & Trash: A Guide from the Solid Waste Department

Presents! Decorations! Delicious treats! Family time! The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year for so many reasons.

Unfortunately, they’re also the most wasteful. Americans throw away 25% more trash from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day than any other time of year.

For the Lafayette County Solid Waste team, getting all this extra garbage from your curb to the landfill makes for a busy season.

Lafayette County residents can make their job a little bit easier, however, by following this list of garbage disposal tips. Be sure to check it twice!

  1. All garbage — even the holiday kind — must be placed in a Lafayette County roll out trash can in order to be picked up. If you don’t have one of these cans, contact the Department of Solid Waste to have one delivered.
  2. All trash should be sealed and secured in bags in your garbage can. This will keep loose trash from littering our streets and different objects — including broken ornaments — from hurting our drivers.
  3. If you have a Christmas tree or other large item to dispose of — for example, the large cardboard box your new flatscreen television came in — don’t set it outside for regular collection. Instead, call the Department of Solid Waste or fill out the website form to request a pickup for any oversized items and then place them on your curb.
  4. No paint, chemicals, automotive batteries, syringes or tires. For information on how to dispose of these items and household chemicals, visit our website.
  5. On collection day, be sure to have your trash outside by 7 a.m. Place the cans within five feet of the roadway. This distance is important because Lafayette County now uses automated side-loading trucks that make it easier and safer for the team to collect waste.
  6. Be sure to have your trashcan outside by 7 a.m. on collection day. For updates about garbage pickup times and days during the holidays, be sure to follow Lafayette County Solid Waste on Facebook.