Intermunicipal councils in Belgium are pleading for Belgians to hold off on mowing their lawns.
Organic waste processing plants cannot currently handle the massive influx of grass trimmings, De Standaard reports.
The plea comes on the back of the conclusion of the successful “Maai Mei Niet” (Don’t Mow May) campaign, which urged Flemish residents not to trim their lawns in May. While many will now have overgrown gardens, local authorities are pleading for Belgians to hold out a little longer before trimming their lawns.
“An excessive supply of grass within the waste system can disrupt the operation of professional composting facilities,” expert Elke Celen told De Standaard. “Because the spring was first wet and then warm, nature exploded and that resulted in a lot of green waste. If a lot of grass is added now, it could become too much.”
It is instead advised that, in the event that mowing is urgent, to take the clippings directly to the recycling centre, rather than mixing into the organic waste bags. This allows it to go directly to green composting facilities.
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At the IVAGO recycling centre near Ghent, more green waste was collected in April and May than last year. Other centres decided not to promote the campaign to discourage garden clippings, worrying that it might stagnate the supply of compost. Nevertheless, recycling centres are still feeling the strain of a sudden influx in garden waste.
Garden experts recommend not trimming grass all at once and instead cutting more regularly, which is better for healthy lawns. Any excess, they advise, can be set aside in the garden to compost naturally. Garden clippings also act as a good mulch layer for growing in the garden.
