Most of us are beginning to understand the importance of reducing our carbon footprint. Alongside using battery-powered power tools and lawn mowers and driving electric cars, there’s more we can be doing in our own backyard.

Did you know you can make smart choices with your outdoor waste to benefit nature and your property? Make your yard waste greener with some of these techniques below.

Start Composting

Nutrient-rich soil is something we can purchase from our local garden stores with ease. Although, it’s also something we can be making at home, purely with what nature has already given us. Dedicate a section of your yard to composting or purchase composting containers that can assist with the process.

Once you have an area to create your nutrient-rich soil, you can get to work. Fill it with grass clippings, leaves, food scraps, and other compostable materials that can break down over time. Even a worm farm can be a worthwhile addition as you start your new composting journey.

Alongside providing you with healthy soil for your plants, composting also provides a myriad of other benefits, such as lower methane emissions from landfills, suppressed plant diseases, less rubbish going to landfill, a reduced need for chemical fertiliser, and more.

Use Water With Care

Access to clean water is a necessity, yet many people go without. Here in Aotearoa, we’re fortunate to have access to an abundance of fresh, clean drinking water. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t face shortages from time to time.

Use water with care by watering your plants with rainwater rather than water from the tap. You can even create a rain garden to filter stormwater runoff and stop it from entering lakes, streams, and rivers.

Fortunately, it’s easy to create a barrel water collection system, with many tank kits available from places like The Warehouse and Mitre 10. You can then position this in the most convenient part of your yard for easy plant watering.

Plant Drought-Resistant Plants

It’s only natural to want a beautiful garden filled with vibrant flowers that put a smile on your face. However, some varieties are only suitable for some climates. Rather than watering your plants year-round with precious drinking water, consider planting drought-resistant plants that require less care.

Several varieties can liven up your landscape, which means you don’t have to resort to other less hardy varieties. Succulents, agapanthus, flaxes, grasses, and even libertia may all be plant options you consider.

Cut Down on Chemicals

You might think that the only way to achieve a healthy, thriving lawn and garden is by investing in chemicals. While these might help, they are not always the best choice for the environment. Fortunately, you can enjoy green lawns with green lawn care techniques.

Switch to organic fertilisers that only need annual or semi-annual application. Improving your soil can also lay an excellent foundation for plant growth, potentially doing away with the need for chemical additions to improve its health.

There are plenty of small things you can do to promote soil health, such as:

• Using organic mulch

• Encouraging earthworms

• Making your own compost

Use Mulch

Mulch can be a magical material when it comes to your property’s overall health. It can improve soil fertility, health, and even the aesthetic appeal of your garden. However, it can also assist with moisture retention in your soil. This benefit alone can save a significant amount of water. Given its ability to suppress weed growth, you may also be able to save yourself hours of weeding in the garden.

Attract Wildlife

With deforestation and a loss of flora, our wildlife is running out of places to call home. If you’re able to do so, consider replacing turf grass with native plants. These plants not only look beautiful but give creatures a much-needed place to call theirs.

Plant Trees

Trees have many benefits, such as producing oxygen, reducing stormwater runoff, and reducing erosion. They also give wildlife the food, protection, and shelter they need to survive and thrive. Even you can benefit when you plant trees at home.

They can be a source of privacy while also providing much-needed shelter on those hot summer days. If you’re unsure about upkeep, you can hire professionals to assist with their health and trimming needs.

Hire Crewcut for Green Waste Removal

If you don’t have somewhere satisfactory to store your green waste, and you’re already doing all you can to make your yard waste greener, there’s no harm in calling in the experts.  

Crewcut provides a garden bag and green waste service in many regions across the country to make your life just that little bit easier. Crewcut is committed to environmental sustainability, which means they are able to turn your green waste into compost on your behalf. Why not find out more about their green waste service today?