Fall in Minnesota is stunning. But once the leaves have dropped and the kids have jumped in the piles, many of us wonder, what now? Sure, you could spend the weekend raking and bagging the leaves, sticks and grass clippings. But do you have to?
“No, you don’t,” said Beth Correno, environmental health program supervisor with Ramsey County. “It really is better to leave them and instead run your lawn mower over the leaves, grass and smaller sticks and debris. That thin layer on top of your lawn helps it maintain moisture, seeds the lawn and helps the pollinators.”
The composted leaves feed microbes in the soil to create a healthy biology, which in turn feeds the grass that will come up in the spring. That’s not to mention the fact that you skip the raking, piling and bagging of the leaves, which can be a pain in the back especially.
Maybe your yard waste isn’t so simple. Recent windstorms in Minnesota have some homeowners dealing with larger limbs, sticks and debris. “This is yard waste you’ll have to take to your local site,” Correno added. “In Ramsey County, we have seven sites, but only four of them can take larger yard waste. Know before you go. That’s what we tell folks.”
A plethora of pumpkins can have some people scratching their heads and wondering how best to dispose of these decorations when they lose their ghoulishly good looks. “You can compost those,” Correno pointed out. “We want people to put pumpkins in with the leaf pile, not with food scraps. We just ask you to remember to take the candles out and if they are heavily painted or covered in glitter, throw them in the trash instead.”
If your fall cleanup plans include cleaning out the garage to make room for the snowblower, shovels and sleds, the county can help there too. Maybe one of the kids’ bikes is broken, or your inflatable holiday decoration has a hole, Ramsey County offers fix-it clinics and is hosting one on Oct. 26 to help you give worthy items the fix they need to be back in tip-top shape. “We’ve got fixers who will help you out, and there’s no charge for that,” Correno explained.
Some items in the garage can’t be recycled or repaired. These are items like cleaning products, dead batteries, incandescent light bulbs, scrap metal, electronics and paint. Ramsey County’s Environmental Service Center is a new facility opening in the spring of 2025 that will make it easier to recycle. Currently, residents bring this type of hazardous household waste to mobile collection sites. Some counties also host specific events for the collection of these items.
To learn more about recycling in Ramsey County, go to www.ramseyrecycles.com
Don’t miss the upcoming Ramsey County Fix-It Clinic
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Last items accepted at 12:30 p.m.
Heritage Hall