Yardwaste Baggage

If neighbors on opposing sides of the street each put out yardwaste bags for pickup, it would take just a little chalk and paint to turn them into chess characters, draw a chessboard grid on the street, and have at it.

Why not? It makes about as much sense as trying to stuff leaves in a bag and then try to make them stand up straight along the curb.

Another neighbor has figured it out, though. Line them up horizontally and push the bottom of one against the top of the other, thereby preventing premature opening, tipping and spillage.

There are also plastic sleeves you can buy to hold the bag upright while you stuff the leaves in. The bags look small, but a friend raved about how many leaves he could stuff in there.

Though this service was previously only available in the township, borough residents can now participate. According to a borough staff member, borough residents can pick up 20 free bags over at the township (more info here). The bags are picked up every two weeks, and are particularly useful if one wants to preserve the parking place in front of one's house. Info for township residents is here.

My impression was that leaves can also be stuffed in trash cans adapted to the purpose and left out for pickup, but the borough staffer thought not.

Of course, I've never understood why homeowners would want to part with something as useful and rich in nutrients as leaves, especially when they can just be mulch-mowed right back into the lawn. For more info on alternatives to putting leaves on the curb, the Princeton Environmental Commission's leaf management brochure is still on the web.