The recycling of green vegetative waste has been conducted mostly by commercial greenhouses and crop farms in an effort to bring down their garden supplies costs. It also reduces their water consumption for irrigation by usage of garden mulch not to mention the smaller carbon footprint when everything is organic. For these large consumers, carbon credits can be gained. But there is no reason why households should not participate and benefit from this mature field of recycling. Homes may not have the time or capacity to produce their own garden soil or even just garden mulch. However, there are green waste depots set up by compost recycling plants that accept both commercial and domestic waste. Conversely, they deliver recycled garden supplies to both large and small consumers. This represents a full recycling cycle and now residential developments are borrowing a leaf from industrial farming on how to cut overheads of garden supplies.

Gardeners can further contribute to the recycling process by separating their organic waste from other household waste as this will be used in the making of recycled garden supplies. When starting a new garden or installing a new turf, it is important to note the type of garden soil that best suits the plants and the climate also. Flowers and vegetables need garden soil that is rich in humus and they also need toppings and garden mulch. Turf also needs garden mulch to keep the soil from dilapidating. Using turf clippings as mulch is not enough, it is better to order garden mulch that has been composted for weeks which will rejuvenate the garden soil faster. The garden mulch is affordable since it comes from large scale recycling. To further save on water consumption and maintenance it is advisable to install drought resistant varieties like Sir Walter turf. This type of turf only needs watering once a week thus contributing further to environmental conservation.

One should also consider the environmental impact of other household supplies like firewood. This should be sourced from firewood plantations or from naturally fallen trees. The home use of the firewood should also be efficient such that only dry wood is used for burning. Firewood should be stacked for drying a few months before use. To make a difference in the environment separate your green waste for disposal to recycling plants. When these firms convert the waste to useful garden soil and garden mulch, it completes the recycling circle since they will be used back in households.

The practice of green waste recycling has been applauded by conservationists; being an industry that does not consume energy or contribute to global warming. Earlier, green waste was not separated from city waste and this meant that it was part of the dump used for landfill. Now it is being diverted to make premium garden soil a much more environmentally friendly solution. The brilliance of it is also seen in the variety of garden mulch produced for different gardening public or private needs. The garden mulch for ornamental plants when landscaping is different from that used for food crops and turf. The compost recycling firms are able to blend the right garden mulch and garden soil of a particular location and purpose thus conserving the ecology of that area.







The Green Centre is the author of this article on Garden Soil. Find more information on Garden Mulch here