Did you know that leaves and other yard wastes account for more than 20 percent of Denver's landfill waste? These organic materials can be recycled, and Denver Recycles offers these tips and services:
Grass
Recycling rather than bagging your grass trimmings is the natural way to a beautiful lawn. Called GrassCycling, more and more residents are choosing to leave their grass trimmings on their lawns. Doing so helps enrich the soil because the clippings decay rapidly and return valuable nutrients and organic matter to the soil. 
GrassCycling can also save you time and money. Up to 38 percent less time is spent on lawn care, and less money is spent on plastic lawn bags, water and fertilizers.
Mulching blades that chop grass into smaller pieces are available for your gas or electric mower at local hardware stores for a nominal cost.
Many people have the misconception that GrassCycling causes thatch, however, research shows that grass roots and stems, not grass clippings, are the primary cause of thatch.
Leaves
Denver's trees are a beautiful sight in the fall, but when the leaves start to drop, many residents find themselves overwhelmed by ever-growing mounds of leaves in their yards.
 Small amounts of leaves can be mulched by digging them into lawns and gardens. However, leaves should not be raked or swept into the street because street sweepers cannot pick up large amounts of leaves. Leaves left in gutters can clog storm drains, leading to drainage problems and flooding after rain or snow storms.
Instead, excess leaves can be recycled via the city's annual Leafdrop program that takes place every fall, usually in November. Check our News & Events section for dates and times each fall.
Mulch and Compost
Residents can help close the loop on recycling their leaves and holiday trees by reclaiming them each spring in the form of rich compost to use in their yards and gardens. The compost is usually made available in early May. Please call us at (720) 865-6805 or check our News & Events section for details about the next annual Treecycle Mulch Giveaway and Leafdrop Compost Sale.
 Some benefits of mulch:
- Maintains soil moisture
- Helps control weeds
- Moderates soil temperatures
- Improves soil conditions
- Reduces damage from lawnmowers and string trimmers
How to use mulch:
- Mulch throughout the drip line (the area under the branches). This area is considered the critical root zone. Tree roots do extend further.
- Do not mulch up to the tree trunk. Leave a six-inch space between mulch and the trunk of the tree.
- No deeper than three to four inches of mulch throughout the entire mulch ring.
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