Recycling, Composting, and Household Chemicals Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is there no recycling outside of the City of Lafayette or for residents who reside in apartments?
There is a system of recycling for residents in unincorporated Lafayette Parish and apartment dwellers – it is a recycling drop-off system. The system has 12 drop-off points. The three multi-compartment containers in parish parks accept the same recyclables that are collected in the City’s curbside recycling program. The eight fire stations do not accept glass; two large containers – one blue and one green container, which are both labeled – accept newspaper, magazines, plastic bottles, aluminum cans and tin (metal) cans. The locations are:

• Multi-compartment container in Scott Park, 1200 Cormier Street
• Multi-compartment container in Youngsville Park, 399 4th Street
• Two-bin system at Fire Station # 3, 100 Cooper Dr.
• Two-bin system at Fire Station # 4, 300 Azelie St.
• Two-bin system at Fire Station # 5, 2001 Johnston St.
• Two-bin system at Fire Station # 6, 100 Montrose Ave.
• Two-bin system at Fire Station # 7, 345 Kaliste Saloom Rd.
• Two-bin system at Fire Station # 11, 1115 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy.
• Two-bin system at Fire Station #12, 2856 Verot School Rd.
• Two-bin system at Fire Station # 13, 6507 Johnston St.
• Outside bins at The Recycling Foundation, 500 Guidry St.

2. Why does the Compost Facility stop giving away compost at 3:00 p.m.?
The "Dean Domingues Compost Facility" is located at 400 Dugas Road. The facility is open Monday – Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. until noon. We stop giving away compost at 3:00 p.m. on weekdays so that we can perform maintenance on the many machines that make the facility operate efficiently.

3. Why is there any size limit on the yard waste I put out for collection?
Lafayette’s yard waste goes to the Dean Domingues Compost Facility where it is ground up and set out in rows to decompose. The final product is a nutrient-rich soil additive for gardens and landscaping that is given to residents for free. The Compost Facility is a high maintenance operation reducing waste that would normally go to an expensive landfill by 30%. With the massive amount of incoming material, we need citizens in the city and unincorporated Lafayette Parish to keep tree limbs to the following limits: No piece of tree wood over six feet in length and no tree limb over 18 inches in diameter. No single piece of tree wood can weigh over 50 pounds. Nothing is to be set out at the curb for collection or dropped off at the Compost Facility except tree wood and green waste such as grass, weeds, shrub trimmings, etc. No processed wood or other trash is accepted at the Compost Facility.

4. There are some items that I’ve put out with my trash to be picked up by BFI that they never have picked up. What do I do with the old paint and tires that BFI will not pick up and why will they not pick up these items?
BFI is the waste contractor that picks up garbage and yard waste from citizens in the city of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish. City residents have twice a week garbage pick up and once a week yard waste pick up. Parish residents have once a week garbage pick up and once a week yard waste pick up. BFI will pick up bulky items such as sofas and chairs on citizens’ regular garbage days. Appliances are picked up by a particular "section" of the city and parish. In other words, all residents are in a section of Lafayette which is either in a pick up zone scheduled for week 1, week 2, week 3, or week 4. Residents with an appliance to be picked up should call BFI at 232-5730 to find out which week of the month their appliance will be picked up. Residents then put the appliance out that week and call BFI at 232-5730 to notify them that an appliance is out at their residence. Old tires and hazardous or toxic liquids will not be picked up by BFI, as they have been banned from landfills. Residents may drop off up to five tires per day, for free, at one of two sites in Lafayette Parish. Residents should call the Environmental Quality Division at 291-8529 to find out where to drop off tires and how to properly deal with hazardous household chemicals and to find out how to properly dispose of certain (limited) items such as paint, motor oil and antifreeze.