I had the same problem when I moved back to Iowa Falls from Washington DC 4 summers ago.

I bought a chain saw and cut down 5 cedar trees that seemed to be growing right out of my house's foundation. They were smaller trees about 25 to 30 ft high. Then I pruned two 75 ft evergreens so I could mow under them without stooping. I did the same to two locust trees and an ash in my back yard. Then I cut down an over grown shrub that was in the way of a deck I wanted to buld.

I ended up with a backyard full of trees, limbs and dead leaves. It was a really big pile of stuff.

I then ordered a trucksize dumpster as I had also taken down a small carport next to my garage that had been used to store a boat. I was ready to fill that dumpster with it all when...

I found out the trees could NOT go in the Hardin County landfill...but the carport wood covered with lead based paint could. In the East the trees could go in the landfill but not the lead painted wood...go figure?

It was really hard work to do all that tree trimming. I called my city manager to see where I could dispose of my trimmings. I was told it could be hauled to a farm or it could be burned were it stood on my lawn. I won't burn trash, leaves or debris as a matter of principle...but most of my neighbors don't have a problem with burning.

I ended up calling the local tree service to come over and throw it into their chipping machine and haul it away...$100. They take it to a nearby hog confinement feeding farm where the chips are used to compost dead pigs.(I'm not making that up)

I later had the tree service come back and cut down those two 75 evergreens for $400.

The moral of my story is find out how to get rid of the trimmings before you do the cutting.

I never did prune my other 7 trees up high because of the problem of disposal and danger.

I guess I saved a little money by dropping those trees myself. But if I had to do it over again...I think I'd try to make a "deal" with the tree service to do the cutting durning a slow time for a cheaper price.

Pete in Iowa Falls