Summer is here. Save yourself some time and energy this growing season by Grasscycling, which is the process of leaving your grass clippings on your lawn after mowing. Grasscycling makes mowing quicker and easier and is the natural way to return nutrients back to your lawn.

More than one-third of Denver’s household trash is composed of yard debris and grass clippings, with grass clippings consistently being one of the most wasted materials from April to September. By Grasscycling, you can help stop this material from ending up in landfills and have a real impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Give Grasscycling a try this summer and see what you think!

TIPS FOR HOW TO GRASSCYCLE SUCCESSFULLY:

1. USE ANY MOWER. Remove the mower collection bag to allow clippings to fall back on the lawn. If your mower does not have a safety flap covering the opening over which the bag fits, then you may need to purchase a retrofit kit from your local hardware store.
2. MOW WHEN IT’S DRY. Wet grass clippings clump together and do not feed your lawn as well as dry grass clippings.
3. FOLLOW THE “1/3 RULE.” To foster healthy grass, do not cut more than 1/3 of the length of the grass at any time, and leave clippings no more than one inch long. Lawns are most healthy when they are mowed to a height of 2 1⁄2 to 3 inches.

If you hire a landscaper to mow, be sure to ask them to adopt Grasscycling methods when mowing your lawn.

Visit DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles for more information about Grasscycling and other resources for reducing your waste.