x°/EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(OS-305)
EPA/530-F-92-012
July 1992
Office of Solid Waste
Environmental
Fact Sheet
RECYCLING GRASS CLIPPINGS
Nationwide, State and local governments, lawn equipment
manufacturers, lawn care professionals, and others are working to divert
yard trimmings from municipal solid waste. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) recommends leaving grass clippings on lawns,
rather than collecting and bagging them. Leaving grass clippings on the
lawn (1) enhances the natural health of lawns by improving the soil and
turf growth, and (2) reduces the amount of waste that must be collected
ana managed.
Clippings Enhance Your
Lawn
EPA recommends
leaving grass clippings on
lawns to reduce the
amount of waste that
must be collected and
managed and to enhance
the natural health of
lawns. As short grass
clippings filter to the
ground and naturally
decompose, nutrients
return to the soil and
support further turf
growth by supplying part
of the lawn's fertilizer
needs. This practice can
save about one fertilizer
application per year.
Grass clippings in-
crease the soil's organic
matter content, along with
its ability to retain mois-
ture and nutrients, to
resist erosion, and to main-
tain cooler temperatures
during the summer.
The Texas A & M Univer-
sity System and the Texas
Agricultural Extension report
that clippings usually con-
tain about four percent
nitrogen, 0.5 percent phos-
phorous, and two percent
potassium, as well as essen-
tial minor elements.*
Why Be Concerned About
Grass Clippings?
Nationwide, state and
local governments, lawn
equipment manufacturers,
lawn care professionals, and
others are working to divert
yard trimmings-including
grass clippings, leaves,
brush, and tree prunings-
from municipal solid waste.
By mid 1995, 20 states
will have banned landfill
disposal of yard trim-
mings, the second largest
component of the solid
waste stream. Nationally,
yard trimmings account
for nearly 20 percent (over
31 million tons) of munici-
pal solid waste generated
each year. Grass clip-
pings account for over half
of all the yard trimmings
generated.
The amount of yard
trimmings generated var-
ies considerably by region,
season, and even from
year to year. During peak
months (primarily, sum-
mer and fall), yard
trimmings can represent
as much as 25 to 50 per-
cent of municipal solid
waste.
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with Soy/Canola Ink on paper that
contains at least 50% recycled fiber
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Clippings and Thatch
Grass clippings do not
cause thatch when left on
lawns. Thatch, rather, is a
layer of organic material
comprised of grass roots,
not the grass blade that is
mowed. Grass roots contain
ligriin, a substance that is
very slow to decompose and
causes thatch. Grass clip-
pings, however, which are up
to 90 percent water (wet
weight) arid contain little
lignin, decompose quickly.
Making the Switch
To foster healthy stand-
ing grass, do not cut more
than one third of the blade
off, and no more than one
inch total, at any one time
(the exact mowing height
depends on grass type and
climate). In making the
switch, participants in a Fort
Worth, Texas, pilot project
found that, since bagging the
clippings was no longer
necessary, they spent an
average of 38 percent less
time on each mowing.*
Looking For More Information on Yard
Trimmings Management or Other
Municipal Solid Waste Issues?
EPA's Office of Solid Waste offers a
number of fact sheets and pamphlets on
municipal solid waste management for
citizens and community leaders. One such
fact sheet, Yard Waste Composting, takes a
general look at the whys, whats, and hows
related to backyard composting.
Publications are available by contacting
the RCRA Hotline, Monday through Friday,
8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., EST, at (800) 424-
9346. For the hearing impaired, the number
is TDD (800) 553-7672. Or write to:
RCRA Information Center (RIC)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste (OS-305)
401 M Street SW.f Washington, DC 20460.
Another EPA publication, Yard Waste
Composting: A Study of Eight Programs, is
available for a fee from the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS). To order, call
(703) 487-4650 and ask for publication
number PB90-163 114.
Yard Trimmings Management
for Homeowners
EPA, in cooperation with the Colorado
State University Cooperative Extension,
developed a brochure on yard trim-
mings recycling/composting , entitled
"EASY" (Environmental Action Starts
in your Yard). This brochure provides
more detailed information on advan-
tages of mulching, composting, and
other beneficial home uses for yard
trimmings. To receive a copy, write to:
George Donnelly
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 8
999 18th Street
Denver, CO 80202
* Dr. Bill Knoop, Texas Agricultural Extension Service. The Texas A&M University
System, College Station^ TK.
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