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Don't Throw Away the Green
Photo Credit: kevindooley (Flickr)
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San Antonio and the surrounding area is part of the vast San Antonio River Basin, a watershed of interconnected ecosystems that span from here to the Gulf of Mexico.
Whether through surface run-off or our landfills, everything we throw away has the potential to impact the water quality of our rivers and creeks.
Because of this, we must be mindful of how we dispose of household waste.
We’ve already sorted out what can be recycled in your residential blue bins, but what about organic waste that decays in our landfills?
Mow Down The Amount Of Waste In Our Landfill
Much of the organic waste we produce can be recycled to provide nutrients for our lawns and gardens, rather than taking up space in our landfill. Not only is bagging your grass clippings an arduous chore, but also throwing away these clippings to decompose in our landfills is truly a waste.
Grass clippings contain valuable nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, that can be recycled directly back to your lawn. Studies have shown that leaving your clippings on your lawn for a whole year is approximately equal to one annual fertilizer application. Recycling mowed grass is a cost-effective way to maintain the health of your lawn and to conserve water. Clippings left to decompose on your lawn shade the soil, reducing root temperature and moisture loss.
Photo Credit: meaduva (Flickr)
Helpful Tips
Mow no more than 1/3 of the grass blade when recycling grass directly on your lawn.
Never mow wet grass.
Do not recycle clippings from diseased lawns.
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There is a correct way to recycle the grass you mow, however. Typically, the rule of thumb is to cut no more than one-third of the grass blade when mowing to ensure that the grass decomposes rapidly.
Longer blades left on the lawn may choke the soil, and cutting your lawn too short makes the grass plant more susceptible to diseases, pests and weeds. Mowing at a taller height, however, allows clippings to decompose more rapidly, bolsters your lawn’s root system, shades out weeds and reduces the need for watering. Setting your lawnmower to a higher setting also enables your grass to better deal with the stress of our hot and dry Texas summers.
Mulching lawnmowers are designed to finely chop and evenly distribute your cut grass, but they are not necessary to recycle your clippings. Most lawnmowers will do, so long as you mow at the proper height. Households should verify if their lawnmower is safe to operate without a bagger. Some models may require an adapter kit to use without the bagger.
There are instances when you shouldn’t recycle mowed grass. Never mow grass while it is wet, because it will clump and damage the lawn. You should also remove the clippings if your lawn is diseased, and if your clippings are too long, they should be collected.
Additional Grass Recycling Options
Photo Credit: vapourtrails (Flickr)
Grass & Brush Recycling
Brush Recycling Center
1800 Bitters Road
San Antonio, TX
(210) 207-6400
Garden-Ville
7561 E. Evans Road
San Antonio, TX 78266
(210) 651-6115
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Fortunately, you have options to avoid the landfill if you can’t recycle your clippings. Cut grass makes great mulch and serves as an excellent natural resource for controlling weeds. Simply spread one or two inches of grass clippings around your plants, flowers or shrubs to stave off weed growth and inhibit moisture loss in your soil. Don’t lay down more than an inch or two, however, or you will reduce the flow of air and water to your soil.
You can also recycle your grass clippings at the City of San Antonio Brush Recycling Center, located at 1800 Bitters Road. The center takes yard waste and converts it into mulch, which is available for sale. More information on the Brush Recycling Center is available here. Garden-Ville, located at 7561 E. Evans Road, also accepts brush recycling for a nominal fee. Call (210) 651-6115 for details.
When doing yard work, make sure you don’t blow or sweep your grass clippings into the street. Grass can get caught in surface run-off when it rains and end up in our rivers and creeks, leading to depleted oxygen levels in the water and harming aquatic species.
Breaking Down Compost and Organic Recycling
Photo Credit: OrganicNation(Flickr)
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Yet another option to ensure that your grass clippings don’t waste away in the landfill is composting. Organic waste from our yards and kitchens constitute 30 percent of the San Antonio’s waste stream, meaning composting can significantly reduce the amount of material that decomposes in our landfills.
Composting is the natural breakdown of organic material. The product of this breakdown is a nutrient-rich soil-like material called humus which provides a wealth of benefits for your gardens and landscaping.
Humus can:
- Suppress diseases and pests that are harmful to plants.
- Enrich soil with vital nutrients.
- Improve soil’s ability to retain moisture and air.
- Clean-up pollutants in contaminated soil.
- Reduce the need for commercial fertilizers and pesticides.
Quality composting creates the ideal environment for microorganisms to efficiently break down organic material. So what materials should you throw in a compost pile and what materials should you avoid?
Composting Basics: Green and Brown
Ideal compost materials can be separated into the “green” or “brown” variety. Green materials such as grass clippings and produce scraps from your kitchen are rich in nitrogen, providing microorganisms protein. Brown materials, such as brown leaves and sawdust, are rich in carbon providing bacteria with energy.
Examples of “Green” Materials
- Grass clippings
- Kitchen scraps (produce, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags)
- Fresh manure
- Weeds
- Crushed eggshells
- Nut eggshells
Examples of “Brown” Materials
- Dry leaves
- Straw
- Sawdust (in moderation, avoid Black Walnut wood)
- Wood chips
- Paper towels and napkins
- Ripped-up cardboard
- Cotton rags
Materials to Avoid
- Meat, fish and animal fats (attracts pests)
- Shredded newspaper (contains ink chemicals)
- BBQ grill ashes
- Household pet waste
- Dairy products
- Diseased plant matter
The organisms which break down the materials in compost piles require a “balanced diet” in order to maximize their productivity. A healthy mix of green and brown materials also helps maintain the ideal amount of moisture and air in your compost pile.
The ideal proportion of compost materials is typically one part “green” for every three parts “brown.” Too much “green” creates a stinky garbage heap, while too much brown can slow down the compost process significantly.
Types of Bins
Photo Credit: London Permaculture (Flickr)
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There are two types of compost piles, open bins and enclosed containers. Open bins are typically made with lumber and chicken wire. Enclosed containers, which are either up-right boxes or rotating drums can be purchased at area hardware stores.
The goal of your home composting pile is to create a “hot” environment, meaning the microbes have enough air in the heap for efficient decomposition. If there is an ideal amount of air within the pile, temperatures at the pile’s core should reach 140 to 160 degrees, speeding up the decomposition process.
Step by Step
- Pick a shaded, relatively dry area in your backyard that is approximately 4 square feet.
- Start your pile with roughly 6 inches of brown materials, such as dry leaves, and water this layer thoroughly.
- Next add a 2 inch layer of green materials, such as grass clippings and kitchen scraps and a healthy dash of soil.
- Lightly mix the two layers and water thoroughly.
- Finally add another 2 inch layer of brown materials.
- Continue layering your green and brown materials accordingly as more household and yard waste comes available.
- Compost piles should be turned and watered every two to three weeks.
Your compost is ready when it resembles an earthy, soil-like material. Compost can be used to enrich your soil with nutrients or to fertilize your lawn or garden. It also serves as a great mix to grow potted plants.
Digging Deeper Into Our Landfill
Photo Credit: D'Arcy Norman (Flickr)
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Landfills and Greenhouse Gasses
Biodegradable waste buried in our landfills produces vast quantities of methane because of the anaerobic conditions in which it decomposes. Because of the lack of oxygen in these environments, landfills are now the second-largest human-related source of methane, according to the EPA. Methane, a greenhouse gas that regulates the earth’s temperature, is more abundant now in our atmosphere that any time in the past 400,000 years.
San Antonio’s landfill, Covel Gardens, which is operated by Houston-based Waste Management, has taken measures to minimize its environmental impact by capturing methane gas produced on the site and turning it into electricity that is purchased by CPS Energy.
While the landfill has taken steps to minimize its environmental impact, not all methane produced at Covel Gardens is currently captured to be transformed into renewable energy.
Landfills and Our Water
Relating to the San Antonio River Basin, another byproduct of landfill decomposition is leachate, the resulting solution of precipitation percolating through our decaying waste. The contaminated solution has the potential to enter our groundwater supplies or run-off into our creeks and rivers.
The Covel Gardens landfill pumps the contaminated fluid into three evaporation ponds which have a total capacity of 6 million gallons. Still, despite the measures Waste Management makes to minimize potential water contamination, there are steps households can take to dispose of our yard and organic waste in a manner that is beneficial, rather than potentially harmful, to the environment.
Despite the green measures that Waste Management takes when it comes to our landfill, it is important to remember 81 percent of our waste is recyclable in San Antonio. Adopting organic recycling measures is an easy step in minimizing your impact on the environment.
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