Free Grasscycling Training for Landscapers

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Mayor Thomas M. Roach today announced that the City of White Plains is partnering with Rescue Nature’s Nutrients, a grassroots recycling initiative, to encourage landscapers with clients in White Plains to begin grasscycling.

The City will offer a free training and information session on this practice to landscapers on March 9, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, at the White Plains Recreation Building, Gillie Pavilion, 85 Gedney Way (adjacent to the Gedney Recycling Yard).

The training will cover the benefits of grasscycling, the equipment needed (including demonstrations with the equipment), and tips on presenting grasscycling information to clients.

There will also be an opportunity for questions and discussion.

Scheduled presenters include landscapers, Public Works Commissioner Joseph “Bud” Nicoletti, Nancy Giges, of Rescue Nature’s Nutrients and Anne Jaffe-Holmes, of the Greenburgh Nature Center.

Grasscycling is the organic recycling of grass by leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing rather than bagging them and leaving them curbside for pick-up.

Grasscycling is a practice that can help produce a healthy lawn, benefit the environment and the community.

• Grasscycling helps reduce water use. Grass clippings, which are 75 – 85 percent water, decompose rapidly and return that moisture to the soil.

• Grass clippings can reduce water evaporation from the lawn and promote better growth by not only providing nutrients but also by keeping the soil temperature cooler.

• Grasscycling reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. Grass clippings contain nutrients including nitrogen. The nitrogen and other nutrients provide up to 50 percent of your lawn’s fertilizer needs. That’s good for the environment. It helps protect local streams, rivers and lakes from runoff pollution from yards and gardens.

• Grasscycling saves time and is less work (no more bagging, less time maintaining lawn).

• Grasscycling saves money (less water and fertilizer are needed).

“Grasscycling is a win-win for White Plains,” said mayor Roach. Not only is it better for our lawns, but it’s easier and less expensive for landscapers and the City and good for the environment.”

The City and Rescue Nature’s Nutrients plan to offer educational seminars for residents and post materials on the City website (www.cityofwhiteplains.com) to encourage residents and landscapers to make the switch.

The City has been successfully employing grasscycling for years on its municipal land and parks in order to demonstrate its effectiveness.

While several municipalities in Westchester have recently taken action to encourage leaf-cycling, White Plains is the first to focus on grasscycling, which has multi-season benefits. White Plains plans to expand its efforts to encourage leaf-cycling in the future as well.
 

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