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Grass clippings make up a surprisingly large portion of Californias waste stream -- as much as several million tons each year. Yard waste, on average, makes up 15 percent of all garbage, and during the growing season half of that is grass clippings. With Californias communities looking for ways to reduce waste, a simple alternative to bagging clippings and dumping them in the landfill is to practice the art of grasscycling. Unlike many other forms of waste reduction, grasscycling sometimes requires you to do less, rather than more, work. Instead of raking up all those clippings and putting them in a bag or at the curb for pick-up, grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass. In other words, just leave clippings on the lawn when mowing. Wont that cause thatch, which leads to decay and a bad looking lawn? Think again. Grass clippings decompose quickly and release valuable nutrients back into the soil. University studies have shown that grasscycling is not harmful to lawns when they are cared for properly. In fact, grasscycling has long been a common practice on large grass areas such as parks, golf courses, and sport fields -- locations where clippings collection is not feasible. The basics of grasscycling are nearly identical to conventional lawn care: Water and fertilize in moderation, keep mower blades sharp, cut when the grass is dry, and never remove more than one third the length of the grass height at once. Because bagging is eliminated and nutrients are returned to the soil, both time and money can be saved. These benefits for you are matched by even bigger benefits for society at large, as precious and costly landfill space is reserved for other forms of garbage that have no alternative or beneficial uses. To make your grasscycling chores even easier, specialized mulching mowers are now available from most major manufacturers. These special mowers chop clippings into small pieces that can barely be seen and decompose quickly. For existing mowers, retrofit kits are often available from local dealers to convert a standard machines to a mulcher. Because the landscaping industry is facing increasing pressure from local governments to meet Californias aggressive waste reduction mandates, Dr. Ali Harivandi, a turfgrass specialist with the University of California Cooperative Extension for the San Francisco Bay Area, promotes grasscycling. Turf has often been blamed for many environmental concerns, Dr. Harivandi explains. First it was the drought, then groundwater contamination from fertilizers, and even air and noise pollution from mowers! Now its solid waste issues. The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) in Sacramento worked closely with Dr. Harivandi to develop a grasscycling brochure to educate homeowners and landscapers. The CIWMB and Dr. Harivandi have also worked with the landscaping industry to broaden acceptance of grasscycling. The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) has now officially endorsed grasscycling as a responsible turf management technique. Recognizing that yard waste disposal bans have occurred in other states, the green industry in California is increasingly receptive to managing yard wastes in a more environmentally-sound manner. The State of California has learned to practice what it preaches in its own front yard, too. The CIWMB established grasscycling demonstration sites at the State Capitol in cooperation with the Office of Building and Grounds of the Department of General Services. The grounds crew has been so pleased with the resulting time and money savings that they are converting their entire fleet to grasscycling mowers. [Mention if any local public agencies, including schools, are involved in grasscycling programs] |
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