This established the intent of the law, which is for yard waste to be composted so that it may be usefully recycled as an organic soil amendment. In rural areas, such as much of West Virginia, yard waste is generally returned to the soil either through backyard composting, or by default by leaving it in place to decompose informally. In built-up areas, however, yard waste needs to be managed deliberately. In the spring and fall when grass clippings and leaves appear in great amount, yard waste can comprise as much as half of the overall collection.
Some communities require yard waste to be bagged separately from other waste fractions.
Unlike mixed garbage or sewage sludge, separately collected yard waste can be composted effectively through simple, low cost, methodologies . Essentially, given a suitable site, the major steps may be as follows. Windrow length depends on site configuration. Over the course of 12-16 months, the material is transformed, through the action of indigenous, beneficial, microbes, to earthy, stabilized, compost. For every ton of yard waste received, about half a ton of compost is produced.