Autumn leaves in Essen: This is how the flood of leaves is disposed of efficiently!

Autumn leaves in Essen: This is how the flood of leaves is disposed of efficiently!

Autumn in Essen is once again at its best, but that also brings with it a challenge: the trees lose their leaves, and that's around 5,000 tons every year that have to be disposed of. The Waste disposal companies in Essen are already active to clear the streets of fallen leaves.

There are currently around 3,100 wire leaf baskets set up throughout the city, which are specifically intended for the leaves of street trees. It is important that citizens use these baskets responsibly, because waste such as branches, household waste or even car tires have no place here. Illegally disposed waste not only leads to unnecessary extra work, but can also clog the vacuum machines and thus reduce the efficiency of leaf collection.

The leaf season in Essen

The large suction trucks are used, which, depending on the humidity, can pick up between 5 and 9 tons of leaves per trip. Dry leaves are voluminous and weigh a maximum of five tons, while wet leaves experience a real increase in weight and can weigh up to nine tons. But what to do with the collected leaves? This is burned in the Karnap waste-to-energy plant and converted into heat and energy. Composting street leaves is not possible due to the high level of pollutants, which include fine dust and tire abrasion.

According to the Disposal Property owners also have a responsibility. You need to clear up leaves on sidewalks to avoid injuries, especially in wet and cold conditions. To this end, sidewalks should be kept clear of leaves from Monday to Saturday between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. If the leaves are not removed regularly, this can quickly become a safety risk.

Disposal options for leaves

In Essen there are numerous options for disposing of leaves in an environmentally friendly manner. Leaves can be collected in the organic waste bin, packed in leaf bags or taken to the recycling center. The prices for leaf bags vary, but they usually only cost a few euros. For larger quantities, containers for green waste are a practical solution, but higher disposal costs apply. The City of Essen also provides citizens with information about the best disposal methods so that everyone can do their part to keep things clean.

A little note for the neighborhood: They must also collect leaves from their own property themselves, because collecting the neighbor's leaves is legally the neighbor's responsibility. If there are no regulations regarding leaf disposal in the rental agreement, tenants are exempt from this obligation.

In conclusion: Autumn not only brings colorful leaves, but also a lot of work. But with a little organization and proper handling of the leaves, Essen remains a nice, clean place for everyone even in the cool season!