Waste Management of North County

Contact: Sarah Huoh, Public Relations Manager
(714) 685-6487 / (949) 283-8486 (mobile)

Don't Leave Those Leaves Behind
Waste Management offers tips for putting dead leaves to use, keeping them from filling up landfills

CARLSBAD/OCEANSIDE, Oct. 5, 2006 - Fall has officially arrived and soon those fall leaves we find so beautiful on the trees will begin littering our lawns, sidewalks and gutters. Coast Waste Management in Carlsbad and Waste Management of North County in Oceanside remind customers that recycling leaves and grass clippings and putting them to work in their yards and gardens will help fertilize and produce greener and healthier lawns, plants and flowers.

“It is estimated that up to one-third of household waste is organic waste from our yards and kitchens, just the type of material that can be used in compost, rather than crowding our landfills,” said Ken Ryan, district manager of Coast Waste Management and Waste Management of North County. “Whether you do it yourself at home or purchase compost or mulch from a greenwaste recycler, the yard trimmings you pitch into your greenwaste can or cart can serve as a rich amendment or nutrient for your soil.”

Fall leaves can be turned into compost or mulch. Compost is decomposed leaves and other organic matter that is mixed into the soil as a nutrient, while mulch is a top cover that goes around plants or on top of the soil 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, which can be immediately.

Composting 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 this 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 our 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 and seep into the ground, providing proper nutrition to fertilize the soil. This process naturally eliminates the waste otherwise created by mowing the lawn, by recycling the clippings back into the grass.

If you choose not to grasscycle, you may place the clippings into your curbside service bin for pick up. The following are acceptable materials for greenwaste recycling:

Remember: plastic bags, pet waste, palm fronds, soil/dirt, rocks and treated wood cannot be placed in your greenwaste container. To ensure the material is recycled, please only place the above-mentioned items in the greenwaste container.

“We can all make our community even more beautiful by helping nature through the recycling process through participating in the curbside greenwaste program or composting, mulching and grasscycling,” said Ryan. “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.”

For more information about recycling, visit www.wm.com.

Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. We are also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America.