Use paper lawn bags.

The best practice when mowing your grass, if it is not overgrown, it to allow it to stay on the grass. It will leach the good nutrients back into the ground and help the lawn grow fuller and greener. There is actually a term for it- grasscycling.

However, if your lawn has not been mowed in a while and it is a bit overgrown, or you have a massive amount of leaves, you may want to bag it. If you do choose to bag it, use paper lawn bags.

Lawn clippings and leaves naturally decompose, so when you put them in a plastic bag that does not decompose for hundreds of years, you are adding a layer that will prevent them from doing their natural decomposing into the ground. When you choose to use a paper bag for your lawn waste, which will decompose, then the process is allowed to occur.

I am happy to see that lots of cities have put ordinances in place for mandatory disposal of lawn waste in paper bags. Our city is one of those. The bags hold quite a bit if you push the clippings or leaves down or mulch them prior to putting them in the bags. The paper bags are double layered, which also keeps them from tearing like plastic bags.

When you are mowing your lawn this spring, think about using paper bags instead of plastic. They can be purchased at most home improvement stores. Any plastic waste we can avoid is better for the environment and, in turn, better for us.

Happy mowing!