Landscape

The Sustainable Benefits of Grasscycling

Did you know that in 2018 (the latest information available), yard debris accounted for 12.11% of total municipal solid waste? Some of that yard debris was composted instead of going to a landfill. So, the total tally for yard waste going into landfills was 7.21%.

While that number may seem small compared to other trash going into landfills, yard debris, including grass clippings and leaves, can be recycled on your customers’ lawns.

And recycling grass clippings contributes to healthier soil and grass stands.

7 Grasscycling Benefits

When you turn on your lawn mower’s mulching feature, it’ll chop up grass clippings and any leaves into fine pieces that dissolve quickly into the ground. Around 80 to 85% of grass clippings are water, which allows the clippings to dissolve quickly into the soil.

You may need to convince your customers that grasscycling is a good choice and doesn’t harm their lawn. Focus on grasscycling’s benefits for their property and soil.

Here are seven grasscycling benefits:

1. Grass clippings and leaves put nutrients back into the soil. Your customer’s lawn could get up to 5 pounds of nitrogen per year per 1,000 square feet. Grass clippings provide this extra nitrogen boost each time you mow your clients’ lawns.

You and your customers should start to notice that you use less fertilizer compared to lawns where you haul away grass clippings.

2. Grasscycling helps lower your fertilizer cost, which you can pass to your customers. Fertilizer prices are going up due to supply chain issues, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the high cost of producing fertilizer. Your clients will thank you for helping them save money.
3. Grasscycling saves you time. You no longer need to collect and haul off grass clippings. You won’t need to stop mowing and dump clippings from a full mowing bag, giving you more time for more customers. Again, you can pass those savings on to your customers as well.
4. Grasscycling reduces water usage. When your customers have sustainable lawns, including leaving grass clippings to recycle back into the ground, they won’t need to use as much water to irrigate their lawns.

Instead, grass clippings lay on the soil to dissolve and provide the ground with added shade. Extra sun protection means less water evaporation—and less time using sprinkler systems.

5. Grasscycling saves energy and fuel. You won’t be driving to a landfill to get rid of yard waste.
6. Grasscycling helps improve the existing turf. The soil gets more nitrogen and other nutrients from recycled grass clippings. It also activates microbial soil life that breaks down materials, aerating, and helping nutrients get worked into the soil.
7. Grasscycling works in healthy lawns. Your customers’ yards should be moving toward health if you provide sustainable or organic lawn care. And you can confidently employ grasscycling as part of your organic or hybrid lawn care programs.

However, if some of your customers have lawns with brown patch, dollar spot, snow mold, or other turf diseases, you still need to bag up those grass clippings because they’ll continue the spread of infection to all parts of your customer’s lawn.

Watch more: ProScape® Brand Fertilizers, Grass Seeds, and Fertilizer Combination Products

How to Sell Your Grasscycling Recycling Services

To recycle grass clippings on your customers’ lawns, you’ll need to educate your audience about the benefits and reassure them that grasscycling won’t cause thatch to develop on their yards.

Your blog is a great tool to educate your clients about the benefits of grasscycling for homeowners and commercial businesses. Share snippets from your grasscycling blog on social media to continue the conversation with your local customers and expand your reach to potential new clients.

If you set the pace and incorporate grasscycling into your lawn care program, then your customers will know what to expect. If they have questions, be prepared to answer them using scientific information if needed. Always frame grasscycling as beneficial to your customers’ lawns.

LebanonTurf Promotes Healthy Lawns

At LebanonTurf, we sell grass seed, soil conditioners, and lawn fertilizers that support sustainable lawn care. If you want to learn more about our products, visit our website or contact your local distributor.

Read more: The Value of Humate

Sources:

AthleticTurf.com, Grasscycling: 8 Benefits of Recycled Grass Clippings.

EPA.gov, National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes, and Recycling.

LawnandLandscape.com, Grasscycling Can Reduce Water and Fertilizer Needs.

Extension.Missouri.edu, Grass Clippings, Compost, and Mulch: Questions and Answers.

TotalLandscapeCare.com, Simple Sustainability Practices Your Clients Can Follow.