It’s Fall!! Let’s Talk About Fall Yard Waste

It’s that time of year again! The weather has turned, the leaves are starting to change color and all too soon, we’ll have piles of fallen leaves to clean up.

Did you know that yard waste accounts for over 31 million tons of all garbage generated in the US each year? During spring and fall, this can represent as much as 25% to 50% of the municipal solid waste collected. The EPA recommends avoiding putting leaves in your trash or burning them (click here for full article).

So, if I shouldn’t throw away my leaves and I shouldn’t burn them, what do I do with all that fall yard waste?

The easiest way would be to let the leaves lay and run them over with your lawn mower. This will help break down the leaves and provide your yard with nutrient rich compost to grow strong and healthy in the spring! The other benefit here is no extra effort is required!

If you have the space, you can pile the leaves in a corner of your yard to create a natural yard waste compost pile for the winter. The broken down leaf waste can then be used in the spring for your gardens for compost and natural mulch.

If you need to bag and remove the leaves, check with your township to see if they provide a drop off point to compost. Many townships will accept leaves/branches/other yard waste for use in township parks and public spaces.

For more ideas, click here.