Published: November 09, 2008 11:18 pm      

Don’t leave leaves behind

Leroy Morse donates flags for cemetery plots purchased by VFW post

With fall in full swing, Waste Management of Mississippi reminds customers that recycled leaves and grass clippings can be used as a fertilizer to help produce healthier lawns, plants and flowers.

  “It is estimated that up to one-third of household garbage is organic waste from yards and kitchens, which is just the type of material that can be used for composting, rather than going into our landfills,” said Tricia Farace, community affairs manager of Waste Management of Mississippi. “Whether you do it yourself at home or purchase compost or mulch, yard trimmings can serve as a rich nutrient for your soil.”

Both compost and mulch can be made from leaves, but they are not the same. Compost is made up of decomposed leaves and other organic matter that is mixed into soil as a nutrient. Mulch is a top cover that goes around plants to prevent the growth of weeds and protect the soil from temperature changes. Leaves used for mulch should not be fully decomposed; instead, they should be shredded and kept in their own bin until you are ready to use them.

  Composting takes a little more work, and involves putting leaves, yard trimmings and kitchen scraps into a compost bin where aeration and moisture are controlled to facilitate the decomposition process. The materials need to be periodically mixed, turned over and watered to encourage the process, which eventually produces a rich soil amendment.

  In addition to composting and mulching, grasscycling is a process that not only saves time and money, but also protects the environment and reduces the time and effort usually put into lawn care. Grasscycling simply means leaving the grass clippings in place on your lawn after you mow. The clippings quickly decompose, providing proper nutrition to fertilize the soil. This process naturally eliminates the waste otherwise created from mowing the lawn.

One of the most time consuming jobs of garbage collectors is picking up leaves or grass clippings left in a pile in the street. Waste Management encourages customers to bag leaves or clippings if they are going to leave them for pickup.

“We can all make our community even more beautiful by helping nature through the recycling process, by composting, mulching and grasscycling,” Farace said.  “It’s also important that as we care for our gardens and yards we are careful to make sure that as we water or fertilize, these materials, pet waste and litter are kept out of our storm drains, which discharge into many natural waterways and oceans."