September 26, 2024

Dear TrailMark Residents,

Recently a homeowner sent the Board some questions regarding fall yard waste and our TrailMark trash policy.

Since the Board feels that this is helpful information for all residents, we wanted to post this for everyone to read.

There are many tips and suggestions, as well as our trash policy, in this article.

Thank you for your email concerning trash. I’m not certain that you were at our last September 10th HOA meeting. If not, I believe you are asking similar questions to a couple other homeowners at our last meeting.

You are correct that all trash and recycling, per our trash policy, must fit inside all trash and/or recycle cans. Bags and boxes of trash are not permitted outside of the trash and recycle cans, per our policy. On July 11th, 2019, our HOA Board at that time passed our TrailMark Trash Policy – (https://www.trailmark.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/hoa_trashpolicy_20190711.pdf).
This is posted to the TrailMark website, www.TrailMark.org.

In addition, bags and boxes of trash are not permitted, per our trash contract, either. All trash companies are requiring their drivers to lift the trash and/or recycle cans with the armatures that pick up the trash cans. Unfortunately, several drivers have been hurt in the past trying to lift heavy bags and almost every trash company has strictly prohibited their drivers from picking up bags due to workman’s comp claims.

I think you’re also asking what you can do with the extra yard waste that most homeowners compile during the fall months. If I’m correct, I’d like to relay some of the suggestions and answers that were discussed at our last HOA meeting on September 10th.

What can I do with my excess yard waste during the fall months?

1. Fill your personal trash can as much as you can each week.

2. Save the extra bags of leaves or yard waste in your garage or behind your wing fence so you can gradually get rid of them each week in your trash can until they are all gone.

3. Ask a nearby neighbor if they have extra room in their can to dispose of extra yard waste. You usually will find a neighbor who can help. For example, my neighbors across the street from me are retired and when I helped put out their trash today, I noticed that they only had one bag of trash in their 96 gallon trash can.

4. Several folks at the September HOA meeting mentioned that they never fill their cans weekly. They suggested that residents who are looking to get rid of extra trash make a Facebook post on Monday asking if any neighbors have extra room to dispose of some extra bags in their cans. Again, most neighbors in TrailMark will help and let you drop a bag or two.

5. I’m not sure if you filled out the request for a second trash can from Republic Services as it was advertised from August 20th to September 16th on the TrailMark website and the HOA Facebook page. If you did request that additional can, it will be delivered on October 14th. (https://www.trailmark.org/optional-2nd-trash-can-delivery-date-is-october-14th/)

6. If you did not request the additional trash can from Republic by September 16th, and you would still like an additional can outside of the September 16th deadline, Republic Services will contract with you directly for $60 a year, by calling 303-286-1200.

7. A few years ago, I was having some difficulty with the many bags of leaves I was raking through the month of October. I think my friends were tired of me nagging that I always had to go home and rake leaves. One of those days, my friend recommended that I borrow his leaf mulcher/vacuum. I’m not sure if you are familiar with these autumn wonders, but I’d like to share with you what I bought. Buying this leaf mulcher/vacuum saved me a tremendous amount of time and decreased my usual 10 bags of leaves down to 2 bags of leaves. So, if you are interested, here’s a link to the Toro leaf mulcher that has become my saving grace this time of year.

8. Another resident at our most recent HOA meeting shared that he has one of the biggest yards in TrailMark. He said that he composts some of his leaves that he picks up. 

9. Another resident mentioned that he gathers up his many bags of leaves and takes them to the dump once all the leaves are done falling. He said he just makes one trip a year and gets rid of them. I guess the dump is always an option as well.

I hope these suggestions help answer the question you presented. Please know that our Board also secured a FREE dumpster day for our residents in 2025, 2026, and 2027. We don’t know the exact date yet for 2025, but once we do, we will post it on the TrailMark website and HOA Facebook page.