Citizen Connection Nov 2020Tree Rebates Available for
Planting Trees in Denton
Increase the value of your property and improve
the livability of our city by planting trees! Denton
utility customers can apply for a $50 rebate for each
qualifying native or adapted tree purchased—up to
five trees per property. For step-by-step instructions,
a list of qualifying trees, and to apply, visit
www.dentontreerebates.com. The deadline to
submit a Tree Rebate application is May 15, 2021.
Trees provide many benefits to you and our
community:
• Strategically placed trees can shade buildings
and save you up to 56 percent on annual air
conditioning costs.
• Trees provide aesthetic benefits and increase
property values. Healthy, mature trees add an
average of 10 percent to a property’s value.
• Trees filter pollution out of the air and reduce
greenhouse gases. Each year, 100 trees remove
53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of
other pollutants.
• Trees help manage storm water and prevent
flooding. At maturity, 100 trees can catch
about 139,000 gallons of rainwater each year.
(Statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Forest Service.)
A great time for you to take advantage of these tree
rebates is Texas Arbor Day, Friday, Nov. 6. In honor of
Denton’s 30th year as a Tree City USA, celebrate all
week with virtual education opportunities on the Keep
Denton Beautiful social media channels and website,
including a proper planting demonstration and tree
identification with the City’s Urban Forester. Families
can also tune in for story time with the Denton Public
Library and Tejas Storytelling Association. For more
information and tips about trees, visit www.kdb.org.
The Tree Rebate Program is part of the Denton Tree
Initiative, a campaign from Keep Denton Beautiful and
the City of Denton. For more information about this
campaign, visit www.dentontreeinitiative.com.
What is contamination? Recycling contamination is
created when the wrong materials are put into the
system (e.g., hoses, propane tanks, etc.) or when
the right materials are prepared the wrong way (e.g.,
recyclables in plastic bags, food left in containers, etc.).
We’re here to help you recycle right! The following are
common contaminants found in recycling bins:
Garbage
Unfortunately, recycling carts
are often used as a second
garbage bin. Items such as
cat litter, chip bags, leftover
Halloween decorations, and
diapers belong in your trash
cart. Putting these items in a
recycling cart contaminates
tons of clean recyclables.
Bagged Recyclables
Do not bag recyclables.
Contaminants can hide in bags
and prevent proper sorting.
Keep recycling loose, dry, and
clean in the cart.
Plastic Bags and Film
Single-use plastic shopping bags,
films, and wraps (like air pillows and
bubble wraps in packages) don’t
go in your recycling cart. The best
way to recycle these items is to take
them to a retail or grocery store
and put them in their plastic bag
recycling stations.
Tanglers
While most of these are
made of plastic, they cannot
be recycled. Things like
extensions cords, garden
hoses, string lights, textiles,
and shower curtains can
get tangled around sorting
equipment.
If you need some more tips or would like more help
with specific items, check out our Waste Wizard tool!
You can search individual items and the app will let you
know how to dispose of it. Find Waste Wizard on our
website at www.cityofdenton.com/recycling.
How to Prevent Recycling
Contamination
Holiday Solid Waste and
Recycling Schedule
• Nov. 26, 2020 – Thursday collection
shifted to Friday, Landfill closed
• Nov. 27, 2020 – Landfill closes at noon
• Dec. 24, 2020 – No effect to collections,
Landfill closes at noon
• Dec. 25, 2020 – No effect to collections,
Landfill closed
• Jan. 1, 2021 – No effect to collections,
Landfill closes at noon
A publication of the City of Denton Department of Public Affairs
ADA/EOE/ADEA • TDD (800) 735-2989 • www.cityofdenton.com
If you have a solar electric system at your home, you may
receive a credit on your electric bill for generated energy
delivered to Denton Municipal Electric’s (DME) grid. In
this article, we’ll show you how to calculate solar credit.
The Distributed Generation from Renewable Sources
Rider is automatically applied to any DME residential
customer who owns and operates an interconnected
on-site generating system powered by a renewable
resource—typically solar powered.
There are two electric (E) lines on your bill; one shows
Rate R2, and the other shows ERTNPR. R2 represents
the kilowatt-hours (kWh) usage consumed by the
home. ERTNPR represents the kWh returned to DME’s
grid. Note: DME is unable to measure the full output of
your solar generator. Instead, DME can only measure
the electricity that flows through the meter in either
direction.
In the bill example, the home consumed 1,183 kWh and
returned 951 kWh. The account holder was billed a total
of $129.93 for the electricity consumed but then credited
a total of $101.28 for the electricity returned—giving a
net bill of $28.65. These amounts were calculated by
multiplying the first 600 kWh (consumed) X $0.0684
(Tier 1 rate) to get $41.04, and the remaining kWh
(consumed) with the Tier 2 rate and so on.
If you’re interested in going solar or if you have
additional billing questions, contact the city’s Customer
Service Department at (940) 349-8700 or email at
Customer.Service@cityofdenton.com.
Electric Bill Calculation with Solar Energy Credit
R2 Rate- Your home’s electric usage
ERTNPR Rate- The kWh your system
sends back to the DME grid
Throughout the fall and winter season, a natural source
of “litter” may appear around your home as trees lose
their leaves. However, leaf litter is more than just leaves
that fall on the ground. Yard waste (leaves, tree limbs,
and grass clippings) is often thrown away or swept into
streets, which can affect our drainage systems.
Instead of raking and bagging leaves, you can leave them
on the lawn, mow, or compost. Leaves contain 50-80%
of the nutrients a plant extracts from the soil and air,
making them one of the most nutrient-rich and cost-free
fertilizers for your yard. Leaves also provide food and
shelter over the winter months for native wildlife.
However, if yard waste is blown or swept into streets,
sidewalks, driveways, or storm drains, it can end up in
nearby creeks, streams, and lakes; where it will decay
and lead to low oxygen levels that may kill fish and other
aquatic life. While nutrients are great for lawns, they are
not for waterways and cause algae bloom. Yard waste
that is swept or blown into nearby storm drains also
contributes to localized flooding by blocking the flow of
water. When this happens, the City must clean the storm
drain, costing taxpayer dollars. Blowing or sweeping yard
waste into the storm drain is also a code violation and
may result in a citation.
One way you can help prevent leaves from becoming
litter is by opting into the City of Denton Solid Waste
yard waste program, which diverts yard waste from the
landfill. For more info about this program, visit
www.cityofdenton.com/yardwaste.
Don’t Let Leaves Litter
Now that Halloween is over,
you might be tempted to
throw rotting pumpkins in
the trash; however, throwing
your pumpkin in the garbage
means they’ll end up in
the landfill. This year, you
can have a little more fun
and nourish your soil by
composting your pumpkin at
home. If you already have a
composting bin or area, you
can add your pumpkin as you
would other vegetable scraps.
But, if you’ve never composted before, a pumpkin is a
simple way to start. See the list below for tips!
• For uncarved pumpkins, remove the insides first.
Do NOT compost your pumpkin seeds. Instead, scoop
them out, separate them from the pulp (which can be
composted) and turn them into a delicious snack!
After rinsing them, they can be roasted with some oil
and your favorite seasoning.
• Remove any candles or wax.
• Find a final resting spot in your yard for your pumpkin.
This should be out of the way of daily activity. A sunny
spot will speed the composting process.
• Place your carved pumpkin in the spot and smash it a
bit or allow kids to have fun smashing it a lot.
• Cover it with a layer of leaves and let nature do the
work. Worms will turn your pumpkin into nourishing
compost.
This is the easiest way to compost and surprisingly
painless! If this isn’t an option for you, throw those
pumpkins in your yard waste collection bin or kraft bag
and leave the rest to us. We’ll recycle it into a nutrient
rich compost known as Dyno Dirt. Find more information
at www.cityofdenton.com/dyno.
Compost Your Pumpkins