'Grasscycling' Suggested To Relieve Stress On Waste Operations

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Prince William County is asking residents to practice "grasscycling" by leaving grass clippings on their lawn after mowing as a way to relieve the ongoing strain on the county's waste operations. The grass clippings will decompose quickly, releasing nutrients back into the soil, the county said.

Since the coronavirus crisis began, the Prince William County landfill and Balls Ford Road compost facility have seen a surge of activity, forcing the county's Solid Waste Division to place limits on the delivery of yard waste to its facilities.

Along with releasing nutrients back into the soil, grasscycling saves time, money and the resources needed to pick up and handle the clippings for landfilling. When practiced with proper lawn management, grasscycling also can reduce water and fertilizer requirements, mowing time, and disposal costs.

Yard waste makes up more than 13 percent of the total trash generated in Prince William County and nationally.

Another good recycling technique for the lawn and garden is composting. Pick an area of the yard to compost or use a compost bin, which can be purchased at a hardware store and online.

To learn more about yard waste composting, grasscycling, mowing height, watering and lawn management, visit the websites of the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Prince William Library or email the Extension Horticulture Help Desk weekdays at master_gardener@pwcgov.org. To learn more about guidelines for disposal at the Prince
William County landfill and the Balls Ford compost facility, visit the county's trash and recycling website.