Jackie Thompson
The world is becoming more and more eco-friendly, but many US cities are still below the average of 34% for recycling their waste. A great place to start is in your own back garden. You may not realize just how much waste can be produced from your garden, but there are many ways you can make a change. Every effort is being made by the nation to go green with the likes of students working to change their recycling habits.
Make Your Own Manure
A lot of garden waste will include the obvious weeds, lawn trimmings and broken tree branches. This can all go into a compost pit or bin and will over time become your own manure to fertilize your garden with. You can even add kitchen waste, such as fruit and vegetable peelings and used teabags. Bacteria and microbes, such as worms, insects and fungi use oxygen to break down your garden and kitchen waste. The bacteria also help to raise the temperature of the compost pile while the microbes eat and secrete the plant matter, all aiding a nutrient-rich fertilizer to put back into your garden.
Recycling Artificial Grass
Artificial grass is becoming more desirable, especially in people’s gardens. The idea of no more mowing a lawn that will always be perfectly green is very appealing, but what cost is this having on the environment? Artificial grass typically has a lifespan of 7-10 years, which means it can very quickly pile up in landfills as more people opt for it. The different components of it can result in it sitting there for decades before it even starts to decompose. Disposing of a synthetic lawn through recycling is a much better option for the environment and technology is keeping up with the demand for the need to recycle it. Machines can now separate the components of the artificial grass, largely plastics, sand and rubber, to enable them to be recycled. Of course, an even better solution to do your part for the environment is to switch back to real grass. In the US natural grass is considered a ‘sink’ for CO2, drawing in carbon and helping reduce greenhouse gases in the environment.
Save Water with Rainwater Tanks
Rainwater tanks reap lots of benefits and are a must for anyone trying to be more thoughtful in their garden. Watering your garden with rainwater is better than tap water for many reasons. It saves money, there are no chemicals in rainwater which is better for your plants, it can stop drains from overflowing and it takes pressure off the mains water supply. They’re easy to install and are a great addition to any garden, big or small.
Being more mindful about your garden and waste produced is a great way to reconnect with Mother Nature and do your part for the environment. There are many different reasons and ways to do this and even if you choose to adopt one or two things into your daily routine it all adds up and can make a massive difference.