Waynesville officials are encouraging local residents to begin composting following notification from the state Division of Solid Waste Management that the town’s landfill must be temporarily closed.

Materials including plastic bags and landscaping timbers have been found in the landfill but are not allowed by state permits. The mix up is something Town Manager Lee Galloway attributed to new disposal personnel unfamiliar with the state’s dumping regulations.

The inappropriate trash must be removed from the landfill, causing incoming trash to be rerouted to the Haywood County Solid Waste Disposal Area in White Oak. The re-routing has resulted in a trip three times longer and consequently fewer trash pickups for town residents.

“Because of the greater amount of time required for equipment and personnel to drive to the White Oak site, citizens should anticipate delays in having brush, limbs and yard trimmings removed from the curbside,” Galloway wrote in a press release. “It is possible that with the extra time involved, brush service may only be provided every two weeks rather than weekly.”

In the meanwhile, Galloway suggested that residents take matters into their own hands.

“This may be the time when individuals would want to consider starting their own composting site at their homes, placing grass clippings and leaves in piles, turning it occasionally and creating their own compost for use on their plants and in their gardens,” Galloway wrote.

Galloway encouraged residents to visit their local library or contact the local agricultural extension office for more information about composting. Residents may also contact town Public Works at 828.456.3706 or Town Hall at 828.452.2491.