Earth Conservancy

EC’s YARD AND LEAF WASTE COMPOSTING FACILITY

In 1995, Earth Conservancy established a fully operational, large-scale yard and leaf waste composting operation in Newport Township, PA. Start-up funding was provided by a grant from the Northeast Tier of the Ben Franklin Technology Center. Processing equipment was acquired through grants provided by the PA Department of Environmental Protection to participating communities.

The facility accepts yard and leaf waste, including brush, tree trimmings, and natural Christmas trees on a gratis basis from local municipalities and residents. Donations are accepted.

The following communities actively promote recycling by collecting of materials for processing by Earth Conservancy:

Boroughs of: Ashley, Edwardsville, Forty Fort, Larksville, Plymouth, Pringle, Shickshinny, Sugar Notch and Swoyersville
Cities of: Nanticoke and Wilkes-Barre
Townships of: Conyngham, Hanover, Newport and Plains

Pictured above is the "Beast" used to grind yard waste into mulch.

Material brought to the facility is ground down and composted into a mulch, which is then used for EC projects including land reclamation, volunteer tree-planting projects, Phase II wetlands as a growing medium for plants, and donations to local municipalities.

Approximately 8,100 tons of yard and leaf waste is processed annually at the facility. If not for EC's composting facility, much of this material most likely would have gone to area landfills, where municipalities would have had to pay tipping fees to dispose of it, and it would not have been used in an environmentally beneficial manner.

EC's Yard and Leaf Waste Composting Facility has received three Waste Watcher Awards, which recognize public and private recycling and waste reduction programs throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

This annual award is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Public Recycling Officials of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association.