Guidance for Small Communities

Small communities often face challenges often not experienced by larger-population communities. There are advantages, too, for example, in rural communities, there might not be as much community pressure to clear leaves from property as urban centers. Leaving your leaves removes naturally compostable leaves from the waste stream. Leaves can provide habitat for fireflies and other wildlife when left in place.

Some best practices for small community consideration include:

• Partnering with neighboring communities to share resources and possibly negotiate better contract prices from service providers
• If curbside recycling is not an option, consider alternatives
  • Community collection containers in parking lots of municipal buildings, larger stores, or churches
  • Subscription services with local collectors
• Quarterly drive-through collection events for household chemicals and electronics
• Utilizing a municipal space for either a free community exchange spot or coordinate with a local charity to manage the process