Ideal Bite

Is trashing your fall leaves such a big deal?

10.03.2008

Submitted by tmeronek on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 12:29am.

The Bite:

'Tis. Especially if you load yours into plastic bags, which preserve leaves in landfills for, like, ever. Instead, turn leaves into mulch for your garden - because like Keanu Reeves and Shakespearean film, Biters and big landfills don't mix.

The Benefits:

Wasting nothing. Between 20%-50% of the waste we send to landfills is biodegradable and compostable.
Paying nothing. As long as you've got a contraption to shred the leaves (see below), DIY mulch is free.
Nullifying your water use. Aside from lawns, mulching will reduce garden water usage by about 25%.
There's almost nothing better for your plants. Mulching adds nutrients to the soil, controls weeds by blocking sunlight, and provides erosion control.

Personally Speaking:

One of Jen's chores as a kid was collecting yard leaves. When feeling sneaky, she'd make a grid across the rim of the trash cans with sticks, then pile a few leaves on top. "Look mom, no more space..."

Wanna Try:

Shred leaves with a lawnmower or leaf shredder.
Add grass clippings if you've got 'em to make the leaves biodegrade quicker.
Spread the mulch 4-6 inches around trees, and 2-3 inches around flowers and shrubs.

Earth 911 - enter compost and your zip to see if your waste management facility offers curbside compost pickup (many do).

Cocktail Fact

Trekkie Shakespeare fans rejoice: The Klingon Language Institute released its translation of Much Ado About Nothing in 2003.

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Biters mulch just one bag of leaves instead of sending it to the dump, we'll save the weight of 6,977 copies of Willy Shakespeare's Complete Works from crowding landfills.

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