About Composting Grass

Composting grass is one of the most cost-efficient means of managing your garden. On the average, over a third of the landfill waste that comes from American households is yard waste. This really shouldn't be the case if we consider that grass clippings can be a valuable source of fertilizer for our gardens. Following are some basics we need to learn about composting grass.

1. Volume

According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) the yard waste in landfills or recycling centers across America hits a minimum of 18%, but reaches as much as half of total US household waste during growing periods. Moreover, yard waste that does not decompose rapidly (e.g., branches) can comprise as much as a third of that total volume.

2. Space

The same agency estimates that a third of landfills at the municipal level will reach their full capacity very soon. Furthermore, landfills are not only running out of space, but new areas for them become harder (not to mention more costly!) to set up each year.

3. Regulations

Composting grass is one of the alternatives that many municipalities have implemented and even legislated. However, if everyone relies on government yard waste facilities, the same problems of scarcity may just repeat itself. This is the reason for the growing popularity of regulations controlling composting grass clippings WITHIN the household or farm that produces it.

4. Logistics

Composting grass and other yard waste material is difficult to manage at the municipal level. Complaints regarding the foul smell that pervades areas around such facilities have been reported. This is mostly due to the fact that the logistics to process each household's waste has posed a problem for many municipalities. Imagine the time it takes to open every plastic bag of yard waste and multiply that by a municipality's population. Another additional cost for the municipality is the curbside pickups required at least once a week. Even with sorting regulations, some areas prefer to have a pickup schedule exclusive to yard waste to minimize handling problems; and this cuts a greater chunk out of an already tight municipal budget that tries to accommodate as many environmental and social services as possible.

5. Cost-savings

Rather than throwing away yard waste, the households across America that produce them can actually generate savings by using the compost they produce to improve the quality of their soil and food crops. Instead of using your dollars to purchase commercial fertilizer, composting grass and other plant waste really makes more sense!

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