Recycling Green Waste
I love fall because of the beautiful leaves, and recycling yard waste ensures we make the most of what nature gives us. Fall is the air. As the temperatures cool down, the leaves start turn pretty colors, and people get their rakes out.
Are fallen leaves bad for your lawn?
Raking leaves is necessary because leaves can clog drains, get stuck in the gutters and coat everything which might require you to get rain gutters replacement. Sectional gutters are the typical choice among homeowners because they are cheap and easy to install. However, most contractors will recommend North Wilkesboro seamless gutter installation since this will require minimal maintenance compared to sectional gutter systems. But what happens to those leaves we bag up? Despite the fact that they still have use, most are layered on top of the landfill to buried under layers of more trash. What a waste when recycling yard waste is a much better option.
What do you do with fall leaves?
Not only do I love fall because it starts to cool down, but I’m really excited about fall this year because…you guessed it! I get to collect and practice recycling yard waste for my worms. Not that it’s impossible to find leaves during other times of the year or I just have to have leaves, but I like diversity, so fall is party time.
Eco-friendly leaf disposal
So to celebrate with my worms, here is a list of 7 tips for recycling yard waste without adding to the landfill.
Vermicomposting
As you’ve just learned I’m pretty obsessed with vermicomposting. I live in a small-space, so it’s the only way I can compost. I also have a small garden. Not only can I cut down on food waste, but I can use the results for my garden and give them away to others.
Regular Composting
If you don’t like worms and have a yard, you can also repurpose leaves in your outdoor compost. Why do all the work of collecting them just to throw them away? Instead you can use leaves to add nutrients to your garden and soil.
Interested in composting, but don’t know where to start? Subscribe for access to a free quiz and find the best composting option for you.
What can you use leaf mulch for?
Use Leaves Them As Mulch
There are so many benefits to using mulch in the garden. Why go out and buy mulch, when you can have it free from your yard. Recycling yard waste is one of the best ways to keep your plants hydrated and to add nutrients to your soil on a consistent basis. Check out this article for more information about mulch and how to use it.
Make a Leaf Wreath
What could be a better decoration than the essence of fall? Another great way to repurpose leaves is make decorations out of them. Those beautiful leaves will serve as a beautiful accessory during the season. Even Martha Stewart herself, appreciates the beautiful leaves to repurpose as this wreath.
Chicken Bedding
If you have chickens, it might be a nice to give them some nice crunchy leaves to scratch around in. Collect a bunch of leaves, then keep the extra in dry place. As the leaves in the pin decompose, you can replace it with fresh leaves. Then in the spring, you have a batch of rich compost.
Make Leaf Coasters
Repurpose leaves and bring the outdoors in with these cute leaf coasters. All you need is a few white bathroom tiles, some fall leaves and mod podge, you can create beautiful fall coasters that are great for decorating the house or for use as gifts.
Have fun with your kids
There are literally hundred of activities that you can do with your family. I’m going to group them all together with this one point. There are so many fun lessons you can learn from leaves. There’s so many shapes, colors, lines and so much beauty to see. Explore these things with your child. Projects you can with your kids from making a leaf pile, to making leaf prints, leaf bowls, and the list goes on and on.
Additional Tips for Recycling Yard Waste
Do you have any great ideas to repurpose leaves or other yard waste? Leave a comment below!
For other great ideas to celebrate fall check out these other great posts!
Cheap Fall Activities for Kids
DIY: Vintage Fall Decorations
This is the first time, me hearing about this. You are creative, can’t wait to see your stuff in an art museum 😉 great post
lol, I would love to see my stuff in an art museum. That would be the absolute coolest!
Love what you posted, my city has a compost program and collects grass and leave every other week. I like the other ideas that you gave out, Thank you
That’s awesome! None of the cities I’ve lived in has one, nor do they have plans to start that. You can drop them off at the collection center, but unless you have a truck, my guess is that it would be kind of a pain for people. Thanks for stopping by!
LOVE leaves!!! SO much fun!! Although they haven’t started to fall here yet, after reading this, I can’t wait!
Yes, Fall is really dragging it’s feet this year. I hope it’s hurries up!
I love this. The best thing about playing in the leaves with your kids (my favorite idea) is that it mulches them up and you can use them or even dispose of them more easily. After we jump in them a bunch of times, they take up a ton less space, we put them in our bin to mix in the compost, but it’s amazing how it breaks them down, and we are getting sunshine, fresh air and exercise while we rake and jump, It’s the most fun ever! Thanks for sharing these ideas. You have some really creative solutions. 🙂