There are many ways to get rid of your green waste legally. Why not by subscribing to an eco-responsible approach to recovering these raw materials? The recycling center, composting, what to know, what to do, what not to do. Pruning trees, mowing lawns, or pulling weeds produces large amounts of green waste. Be careful, and the law forbids burning them in the open. What then are the possible solutions?
What is Meant by Green Waste?
Green waste is waste of plant origin resulting from the maintenance of the garden: mowing, dead leaves, pruning brushing, non-consumable fruit that had fallen from the branches, vegetable peelings, etc. Indeed, the burning of green waste pollutes the air, disturbs the neighborhood with its smoke and odors, and represents a significant fire risk. This risk is high enough to qualify such a practice as dangerous, and offenders face a fine.
However, the prefect can grant exceptions related to departmental health regulations under certain conditions, in particular, to prevent the spread of epidemics affecting certain plants caused by bacteria or parasites. But there are rules to follow, such as incineration periods and times and the waste condition.
What Solutions for Its Green Waste?
There are several solutions for eliminating green waste: if regular collection is not provided, the waste must be taken to the waste reception center on which the municipality depends on housing. Access is free for individuals on the presentation of proof of address.
You can also shred your green waste using a specialized shredder. These can be electric or thermal and considerably reduce the volume of waste to reuse in a green space in the form of compost. The most efficient models can recycle up to 250 kg of green waste per hour.
It must be recognized that traveling to a recycling center is not always possible due to the excessive volume of waste or the lack of suitable vehicles. In this case, one solution is to call on a specialized company that can take care of removing the waste or shredding it on site.
Green waste is estimated to be over one million tons in our household waste—an unnecessary cost for lost raw material. But then, if we do not burn and if we do not throw in the trash. What can we do with our green waste? In fact, there is no shortage of solutions, from organic recovery through composting, for example, to material recovery through recycling or reuse through energy recovery, more specifically certainly, but no less interesting, for example, through the combustion of certain woods, anaerobic digestion, the production of biofuels.
Selective Collection
Many communities set up selective collections dedicated to green waste, regular collection, even weekly, or on request. The waste is therefore then treated according to the choice of the agglomeration, most often by composting.
Waste Reception Centers
You can also go individually to the recycling center. When crushing and composting are practiced, communities often give their citizens free access to compost and crushed wood.
Specialized Companies
Traveling to a recycling center is not always possible because of a large volume of waste, a lack of a suitable vehicle, etc. In this case, you should know that specialized companies exist, taking care of the plants or grinding them on site.
Crushing and Mulching
You can also use your green waste as a natural mulch, whole straw, dry grass, twigs, or crushed branches. An eco-responsible, economical (free, water-saving), and good for the earth protective, fertilizing method.
Home Composting
The most interesting method remains home composting: easy, on-site, and a source of raw material for the garden: a 100% natural and effective fertilizer. Composting your green waste, it’s may legal. It is useful. You can put leaves, straw, sawdust, chips and crushed branches, fresh or dry grass, withered flowers, tops and peelings of vegetables, fruits, coffee.
Animals
Some green waste can be used to feed small pets and backyard animals. Salad leaves, carrot tops, peelings for chickens, dried grass, grasses, clover, dandelions, and bindweed for rabbits.
Energy
The branches can be tied in bundles or used to light the fireplace, stove, or barbecue. Branches and trunks resulting from pruning or felling trees can be chopped and used as fuel. However, it is necessary to respect a drying time.
DIY Reuse
There are also plenty of creative ways to reuse certain green waste, such as flexible branches, twigs (stakes), branches (stakes), bark and moss for suspensions, dry bouquets, wreaths.
The Advantages of Recycling Green Waste
The recovery of green waste is an accessible challenge, an eco-responsible approach daily with many advantages:
- It’s economical: Fewer raw materials to buy for the garden, less watering thanks to mulching.
- It’s ecological: We limit waste, we reuse.
- It saves time: We compost on-site rather than going to the recycling center;
- It’s productive: We do not destroy; we create raw material and added value by feeding the vegetable garden.