Here at REMONDIS, as a waste management company rooted in sustainable practices, we’re passionate about helping you make the most of your garden waste during autumn. With the leaves falling and garden clean-up underway, it’s important to know how to manage this organic material in a way that benefits both your garden and the environment. Disposing of leaves and garden waste responsibly through composting or other eco-friendly methods can drastically reduce landfill use and promote healthier ecosystems.
Composting Autumn Leaves
One of the best things you can do with fallen autumn leaves is compost them. Leaves are rich in carbon, a crucial element in creating balanced compost. Combine this with nitrogen-rich materials such as grass clippings or food waste, and you will speed up decomposition, creating nutrient-dense compost for your garden.
Did you know? Leaf mould, created by decomposing leaves, is a fantastic soil conditioner. It improves soil structure and increases its ability to retain moisture, making it a gardener’s best friend!
How To Compost Leaves:
- Shred the leaves before you add them to the compost pile to help them break down quicker.
- Layer the leaves with green garden waste like grass clippings or kitchen scraps. A good balance between carbon-rich (brown) and nitrogen-rich (green) materials is key for efficient composting.
- Turn the pile occasionally to aerate the compost and speed up the breakdown.
Leaf Mulching
If you don’t have a compost bin, leaf mulching is an excellent alternative. Mulching is the process of shredding leaves and spreading them over your garden beds. This protects the soil from erosion and helps to retain the moisture, adding nutrients back into the earth as the leaves decompose.
Top Tip: A lawn mower can shred the leaves before mulching. A thin layer is ideal, as too many can suffocate the soil.
Garden Waste Recycling
In addition to leaves, autumn often brings other garden waste such as pruned branches, dead plants, and grass clippings. Rather than taking these materials to landfill with your general waste take advantage of local garden waste recycling programmes.
Many councils will offer kerbside collections for garden waste, used for compost or mulch within the community.
Why Does This Matter? Garden waste decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen) when it ends up in landfills and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Recycling this waste will prevent methane emissions and give the organic matter a second life.
Leaf Collection and Disposal Services
If you have a large amount of leaves or garden waste and can’t manage it all through composting or mulching, check if your local waste management company offers garden waste collection services. Some regions provide special seasonal collections for garden waste, ensuring that it’s disposed of properly and put to good use.
Alternatively, garden waste can often be taken to local recycling centres, where it will be turned into compost or mulch for public use.
Avoid Burning Leaves
Whilst burning leaves might seem like a quick and easy way to dispose of them, it’s harmful to both the environment and human health. Burning leaves release pollutants, including carbon monoxide, into to air.
What’s more, this waste of valuable organic materials means missing out on the opportunity to use it for compost or mulch.
Keep Green This Autumn
Here at REMONDIS, we believe in sustainable waste disposal practices that benefit both the planet and the community. Composting autumn leaves, recycling garden waste, and avoiding environmentally harmful practices like burning are crucial steps towards reducing waste and creating a greener future.
Autumn leaves and garden waste may seem like just another chore to tick off your list, but when managed properly, they become a resource that nourishes your garden, improves soil health, and reduces your carbon footprint. Let’s make this autumn a season of responsible, environmentally conscious waste disposal.