First 'Great Wall of Mulch' Erected in Long Beach, CA

Long Beach constructs 12-foot wall from mulch to reduce noise and visual pollution of Terminal Island Freeway. The project cost $150,000.

Evidently, mulch covers more than dirt. Long Beach used the stuff to reduce noise and unsightly trucks along the heavily traveled Terminal Island Freeway. The Great Wall of Mulch rises 12 feet high, is 3 feet wide, and extends 600 feet — the length of Hudson Park on the West Side. The total project cost $150,000.

"The Great Wall of Mulch demonstrates how the City of Long Beach continues to strive for more innovative and unique solutions for environmental issues, including reducing the level of noise from the freeway," said Mayor Bob Foster. 

Long Beach produces about 12,000 tons of mulch from tree trimming each year. In previous years, the city covered dozens of vacant lots with mulch to suppress the growth of weeds and reduce maintenance costs.  In addition, the city's Green Team performs about 600 free mulch deliveries to residents a year. Read more at https://www.facebook.com/CityofLongBeachCA.

Featured Webinar