The City of Melville is offering free tipping at the landfill for residents and schools in the Rail City this week, to encourage a cleaner community.
Free tipping is on until this Saturday (7th), and before entering people need to show a driver’s license or Utility bill showing a Melville address; post office box addresses will not qualify for free entry.
Director of Public Works Andrew Fahlman explained in previous years, they allowed a multitude of items to come to the landfill – from boats, to barbecues, to mattresses – but due to abuse of the program, operational costs and environmental concerns, have decided this year allow yard waste only. That includes, but not limited to, grass clippings, tree branches, leaves, and anything else that accumulated over the winter into the landfill.
Free tipping week has been offered in Melville for many years, and Fahlman noted an increase in usage going back to 2008.
“We’ve seen an increase of approximately a few hundred loads come into our landfill annually,” he said. “We do have well over 500 individuals utilizing free tipping in our community.”
Fahlman added with the vertical landfill expansion about to start, residents will one day be able to take compost waste there.
“We don’t have a compost pile, its just going in with the regular waste, but with our compost pile being constructed we’ll be able to accept that yard waste there for free as well.”