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Resident proposes trial to blend unrecyclable paper with tree trimmings to make mulch, suggests paper-mill partnership
Summary
During public comment, a resident described a proposal to combine non-recyclable paper with tree trimmings to produce mulch for local use to reduce landfill volume and runoff, and offered to arrange a site visit to a paper mill for committee members.
A resident used the meeting’s public-comment period to outline a proposal to divert non-recyclable paper and tree trimmings from landfill disposal by blending and processing them into mulch for local reuse.
The commenter described Farmers Branch’s unique landfill and local material flows and said a pilot could test blending shredded paper with tree-trimming material to produce mulch that could increase soil infiltration and reduce stormwater runoff on Clay-area soils. The resident suggested partnerships with a local paper mill, with which he said he had industry connections, and proposed on-site pilot plots and a demonstration to measure absorption and runoff differences before scaling the idea.
The resident characterized this as a longer-term project needing coordination with waste haulers, Republic Services (contractor references in the meeting), and the transfer station; he noted logistics such as shredding and storage and said Camelot/transfer-station space constraints might make the landfill/transfer-station site the logical location for a larger pilot. He also suggested incentives for residents to apply mulch (for example, targeting runoff fees) as part of program design.
Committee members expressed interest and asked for follow-up; the resident offered to coordinate a small site visit to the paper mill and to provide more detailed technical information to staff. The committee did not take action on the idea during the meeting.
