As autumn temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn yellow and red, there will soon be large amounts of leaves littering the ground. According to the Web site for the Landscape Recycling Center, 25 percent of all waste in Illinois is yard debris. The center is open year-round to receive yard debris ranging from leaves and tree limbs, to grass clippings and soil.

The center, located at 1210 E. University Ave., is a nonprofit organization operated by the Urbana Public Works Department. The center provides service to Champaign-Urbana and all of Champaign County, said Ray Knight, landscape supervisor for the city of Urbana Public Works.

“It is a self-supported recycling center,” Knight said. “Sales for the products and tips fee provide support.”

The “tips fee” is the $8 drop-off fee the center charges per cubic yard. The center will take yard debris, and make it into usable products such as mulch, compost or firewood.

Most of the customers are residents of the county, however, it does get some business from campus students, Knight said.

“We do get some fraternities in the spring or fall when they’re cleaning up their yard,” Knight said.

Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority has a service that takes care of the yard work for its house in Champaign, and the service takes the yard waste to the center.

“The chapter’s been trying to step up our efforts on recycling,” said Elizabeth Rahn, vice president of public relations and active chapter member of Kappa Alpha Theta. “Whenever any opportunities come up it’s definitely something we try to do.”

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity also has a service that takes care of its lawn. It were unaware of the service the Landscape Recycling Center offered, said James Pipkins, vice president of the fraternity.

“Now that I know of the service, I’ll be more inclined to use it,” he said. “I would be willing to put our yard waste in front of our house if a service would come pick it up.”

According to its Web site, the city of Champaign runs a yard waste collection service Oct. 22 through Dec. 14, where it will collect yard debris in a series of four collections from the curb. The city of Urbana also has a leaf and tree collection service in October and November that coincides with its general recycling pickup days.

The yard waste collected is brought to the Landscape Recycling Center for processing, Knight said. This service is done at no additional fee to the residents.

When utilizing available resources, this fall can be an easier and more environmentally friendly one. Both the reclamation site and curbside pickup service offered by Champaign and Urbana are ways to decrease the amount of waste Illinois produces.

“I feel like there’s so little opportunity to recycle,” Rahn said.

She said is glad her sorority is able to do what it can for the environment with the landscape waste it recycles.