Spring chores often include dealing with leftover leaves from last fall. Bagging leaves and grass clippings takes a lot of time, and cramming them into bags or bundling them can be difficult.

Comprising 11% of the Johnson County landfill, yard waste is no small matter.

It’s illegal to dump leaves and yard waste into the storm drain. Yard waste contains nutrients that can still be used. With this in mind, there are ways for homeowners to manage their yard waste and help the environment, including:

1. Leave it all on the lawn. Not only do grass clippings and leaves help retain moisture, they also return up to 25% of the nutrients back into the soil. University research recommends that you mulch your leaves and grass clippings using a mulching mower. By “grass-cycling” properly your lawn can look great, and you can save money on fertilizing. Save time this fall and recycle your lawn by skipping the bag and leaving your leaves on your lawn instead.

2. Start a backyard compost bin. Compost bins are available in hardware stores, online, or you can make your own. Combine your yard waste, leaves, grass clippings, along with certain food waste, coffee grounds, eggshells and more to make usable compost.

3. Bag or bundle it and leave it at the curb. Your trash and recycling hauler also provide yard waste collection. Depending on their rules, you can dispose of grass clippings and leaves in paper bags (only paper allowed) or in a durable bin that can be labeled as containing yard waste. Limbs can be collected if they are cut down and bundled together. Check with your trash or recycling hauler for specific information on their requirements.

4. Keep grass and leaves out of the storm drain. When mowing your lawn, sweep grass clippings and leaves that wind up on your driveway and curb back into your lawn. Grass clippings and leaves that block or enter storm drains can lead to increased flooding and increased stormwater pollution. Because storm drains are not connected to a wastewater plant, any material that enters a storm drain will end up in a creek, stream, river or lake. As your yard waste breaks down in these waterways, it adds excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. This can lead to the growth of unwanted algae and other aquatic weeds.

For more information about composting, contact the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment’s Brandon Hearn, Environmental Health Specialist, at brandon.hearn@jocogov.org or 913-715-6936 or K-State Research and Extension: Kansas Healthy Lawns kansashealthyyards.org.