Dispose Autumn Leaves The Green Way
As a child, I remember that my grandfather would often pile up dead leaves in our backyard and burn them. I used to enjoy the afternoons where I would follow him around and watch as he works on this so diligently. I used to love the smell of  the burning leaves (I didn’t have lung problems back then) and I used to enjoy the crackle I hear as the fire slowly eats ‘em up. But that way is so old school now. And definitely not advisable.
With fall season already upon us, the Environmental Protection Agency is  campaigning against the old ways of disposing autumn leaves. Not only is burning hazardous and potentially dangerous to properties, the smoke it emits is a pollutant, which is why in many places, this is already considered illegal and fines are carried out against violators.
The EPA enumerates the following disadvantages:
“the total health, financial, and environmental costs of leaf burning can be quite high. These costs include: (1) higher incidences of health problems and increased health care costs; (2) higher incidences of home and forest fires and associated property loss and need for increased fire protection; and (3) the clean-up costs associated with soiling of personal property.â€
So, it is wiser to choose the other alternative by composting. I know it will take time and effort to build one’s own compost, but the benefits are numerous!
Composting is a safe and environmentally sound method of managing leaves and other yard trimmings. Proper composting does not cause health or fire hazards and, in fact, can be beneficial to gardens and lawns. Composting is a simple process that involves placing yard trimmings and other organic materials in a pile or bin, maintaining adequate moisture, and turning the pile periodically to mix in air. Microorganisms gradually break down the yard trimmings into a humus-like product called compost. Composting can be practical at home or at community operated compost sites.
Please check the EPA website for a more responsible leaf disposal system.
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