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Julye 09 Issue - Employee Monthly Magazine New recycling and composting program helps reduce green waste
Carlos Maestas of Heavy Equipment, Roads & Grounds lifts a landscape burlap square filled with grass clippings into a roll-off bin. Photo by Richard F. Gonzales Did you know that about 30 percent of what goes into city landfills is “green waste”? Also called yard waste, green waste consists of leaves, tree trimmings, weeds, grass, and other organic materials. Many communities are discovering that green waste is a valuable resource that can be recycled for a variety of uses. In May, the Lab’s Roads and Grounds group started a recycling and composting program for grass clippings produced by the Lab’s mowing operations. Acting on an idea by Dan Humbles of Field Work Execution, the group’s four employees collect grass clippings using burlap sheets instead of plastic bags. “This is a great idea,“ said Richard Gonzales of Heavy Equipment, Roads & Grounds. “Instead of going through 200 to 300 nondegradable plastic bags per week, we now use 60-by-60-inch landscape burlap sheets to transport the grass clippings. The burlap can be used over and over, and it’s biodegradable.” With the help of the burlap, the grass is placed in a roll-off bin, which Gonzales said takes about a month to fill during the summer. When the bin is full, the grass clippings are sent to the Los Alamos County Eco Station for its compost pile. This easy and environmentally friendly technique augments the eco station’s program to compost tree trimming and leaf debris, reduces the amount of waste being sent to the landfill, and maximizes the Lab’s green waste. In the desert Southwest, with its sandy soils and low rainfall, the market for compost and mulch is limitless. These products enhance soil nutrient value, conserve water, and control soil erosion, noted Gonzales, adding that the products also are in high demand. --Tatjana K. Rosev Other Headlines
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