Are You a "Yard Waste Hero"?
Every summer the volume of trash we haul to the landfill almost doubles. The biggest culprit - yard waste. This is no surprise given our typical summertime routine: we water our greens, watch them grow, cut them down and throw them out. But this summer we challenge you to break the yard waste to landfill cycle by becoming a "Yard Waste Hero"!
By following the tips below, you'll greatly reduce the amount of yard waste going to the landfill, protect our local water supply AND achieve "Hero" status.
1. Ditch Your Lawnmower Bag - As daunting as it sounds, try taking your grass catcher off the lawnmower and "grasscycle". By leaving grass clippings on your lawn instead of bagging them you return nutrients to the soil instead of taking up space in landfills. Most mowers have mulching blades which don't leave a trace of cut grass on the lawn.
2. Opt for a Taller Lawn - Raise the cutting height of your lawn mower during the hot summer months to keep grass roots shaded and cooler, reducing weed growth, browning, and the need for watering.
3. Compost at Home - Your produce clippings, flowerbed debris, garden trimmings, fall leaves, coffee grounds and extra grass can be mixed together in a compost bin - right in your own backyard! Composting reduces the amount of "green" waste you send to landfill and provides you with a rich soil amendment.
4. Chip and Shred - Chip or shred untreated wood and leaf wastes. Use the resulting mulch on garden beds to prevent weed growth, retain moisture, regulate soil temperature and add nutrients back to the soil.
5. Don't Over-Fertilize - A slow-release organic fertilizer applied once in the fall and once in the spring is sufficient for most lawns.
6. Reduce Pesticide Use - Many plants and insects serve as non-toxic, natural deterrents to weeds and garden pests. Introduce ladybugs to eat aphids, marigolds to ward off beetles and quick-sprouting plants to hinder weed growth.
7. Donate Plants and Trees - If you have healthy plants you want to replace or "volunteer" trees not in your landscaping plan, offer them to community gardens, schools, friends or neighbors instead of throwing them away.
8. Buy Recycled-Content Gardening Equipment & Tools - These days you can find garden hoses made from old tires, stepping stones made from old glass bottles, and hand tools, decking and lumber made out of recycled plastic.
9. Recycle Used Tires and Oil From Lawn & Garden Equipment
10. Be Waterwise - Check Hoses for leaks before watering plants, and position sprinklers so they water only plants and lawns, not the sidewalk, street, or house. Also remember to water during the cooler parts of the day (early morning is best) to avoid evaporation.
Together we can reduce the amount of "green waste" heading to the landfill and protect our water reserves. Reducing our summer landfill volumes will help manage our trash rates in the long-run and preserve space for generations to come. Best of all...you'll be elevated to "Yard Waste Hero" status.
Thank you.
Rachele Klein
Allied Waste Business Development Manager
Questions? Call the Allied Waste office at 345-1265 or send an e-mail to info@alliedwasteidaho.com.
