Welcome to Dr. B. Green's
Question & Answer Page

We encourage you to contact Dr. B. Green with any recycling questions that you might have.  You can e-mail him at:

Dr.B.Green@live.com

  Check out the Compost Site Rules - click on the picture to the left.

Q.  Dear Dr. B. Green:  I saw a commercial vehicle unloading brush at the Mechanicsburg – Silver Spring compost site.  I thought the compost site was for residents only?  And by the way, the leaf much and tanbark are wonderful!  – “Green Thumb”

A.  Dear Green Thumb:  You are correct that the compost facility is for Mechanicsburg Borough and Silver Spring Township residents only.  The signs at the compost site clearly state the site is not to be used by “commercial landscaping businesses.”  The compost site is under 24-hour surveillance. What you saw was likely a contractor's pick-up truck being used by a resident to haul limbs damaged by the December 2007 ice storm. 

The leaf mulch and tanbark produced at the compost site are available to residents of the Borough and Township.  A $10 coupon, good for a large scoopful of either material loaded into a truck, is available from the Mechanicsburg Borough Office during regular hours.  Or, residents can shovel the materials into containers, car trunks, trucks, or trailers at no charge.  [Contact the Borough Office at 691-3310 for information on the days and hours the loader will be on site.]

A.  Dear Backyard Composter:   The leaf much is made from leaves collected by the Borough of Mechanicsburg and Silver Spring Township.  Temperatures achieved and sustained during the composting process effectively pasteurize the leaf mulch.  The compost site does not accept grass clippings, which have a remote possibility of containing residues from lawn treatment chemicals.  Other compost facilities accepting grass clippings and operating according to approved guidelines are not experiencing problems with the quality of their compost products.

The tanbark offered at the facility is made from branches, limbs and leaves collected in the municipalities or brought by residents to the compost site.  These materials are periodically  processed through a grinder on loan from the Solid Waste Authority of Cumberland County.  After processing, the ground material is stockpiled as tanbark.  Moisture and time and the size and density of the stockpile permit some curing of the tanbark. Tanbark should be applied like other mulches as a cover material to restrict weed growth and retain moisture in the soil.  Mulches should not be applied directly against plant or shrub stems or tree trunks.

Q.  Dear Dr. B. Green:  I have a question about the weekly limit of 4 trash bags in Mechanicsburg Borough.  We use 17-gallon bags to line our kitchen wastebasket.  Can I only set out four 17-gallon bags each week?  -  “Perplexed”

A. Dear Perplexed: I have good news for you!  You are not limited to setting out four 17-gallon bags for weekly collection.  I suggest you obtain two or more 32-gallon trash cans if you don’t already have them.  You may place as many of the 17-gallon bags into a trash can as will fit, as long as the total weight of the 32-gallon trash can does not exceed 50-pounds.  If you are an Orange Bag Option customer, the same would apply for the 32-gallon orange bag.  Recycle as much as you can and you may find yourself needing fewer trash bags!

Q.  Dear Dr. B. Green:  I know I can recycle plastic jugs that contained laundry detergent, but what about plastic containers that contained coffee, for example, Folgers-type plastic containers?  “Avid Recycler”

A. Dear Avid Recycler:  This is a tough question and when I get tough questions about recycling in Mechanicsburg I always refer to the Borough’s recycling instructions.  I can look at the 2008 printed flyer that was mailed by Penn Waste to all Borough residents, or when I have access to a computer I can check the flyer on Borough’s Recycling Page (www.mechanicsburgborough.org/recycling/BoroughRecycling.htm).  Now to get to your question:  Plastic cans are not listed as acceptable recycles like soda bottles, detergent bottles and plastic milk, juice and water jugs.  I suggest that you use them as storage containers.  They would be a handy for holding nails, screws and other hardware and they will not rust.  They might make a nice planter for herbs, flowers or vegetables.  If plastic cans should become acceptable for Mechanicsburg’s curbside recycling program in the future, the Borough’s recycling instructions will be updated.