Building Sustainability – From the Ground Up Jean Schwab US EPA GreenScapes

In nature, there is no waste Waste = Inefficiency Waste means you are not optimizing the utilization of your resources. “Waste is a resource in disguise”

What is “waste”? “to fail or neglect to use; squander” Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Garbage Trash

This is waste …trash

Where does it all go? ….to a landfill (a.k.a the dump)

This is a landfill

And this is a landfill

It doesn’t go away …it’s neatly and safely stored in the ground …

Forever.

The GreenScapes Solution Focus on the 4 Rs Reduce Reuse Recycle Rebuy

But small changes inside your house and outside can make a BIG difference!

Have a great-looking yard that's – easier to care for – cheaper to maintain – healthier for families, pets, wildlife and the environment

Why GreenScape? Save Time & Money Average homeowner spends 40 hours/year mowing 1 acre lawn costs $ /year to maintain

Why GreenScape? … Waste –40 x 100 ft lawn produces about 1,200 pounds - nearly 50 bags - of grass clippings each year

Why GreenScape? … Air Pollution Lawn and Garden Equipment Emit 5% of ozone-forming VOCs in large urban areas 1 1 hour of lawn mowing = 100 miles car driving 2 VOCs linked to adverse health effects, climate change Source: 1) EPA -420-F August )

Why GreenScape? … Noise Pollution Health hazard to equipment operator Quiet our noisy neighborhoods

Why GreenScape? … Water Pollution Many homeowners overuse and misuse pesticides 67 million lbs applied on lawns each year 2/3 dispose of excess in trash, remainder down drains Detectable limits found in 5-10% of wells 40-60% of nitrogen applied ends up in surface and groundwater Nitrogen, phosphorus main pollutants in Chesapeake Bay, other estuaries

GreenScapes for Homeowners: 5 Easy Steps: 1.Build and maintain healthy soil 2.Plant right for your site 3.Practice smart watering 4.Adopt a holistic approach to pest management 5.Practice natural lawn care

Build and Maintain Healthy Soil with Compost and Mulch A teaspoonful of healthy soil contains about 4 billion organisms! 1 This community of beneficial soil life keeps our landscapes healthy. Healthy soil = healthy plants = clean water = clean air

Build and Maintain Healthy Soil with Compost and Mulch 1 Know what your soil needs – test it! Feed your soil with compost Make compost at home or buy it in bags or bulk

Build and Maintain Healthy Soil Compost yard trimmings and kitchen scrapsCompost yard trimmings and kitchen scraps Save landfill space, transportation impacts Create free compost for soil amendment Chip woody waste and tree clippings into mulch for use on-site

Build and Maintain Healthy Soil Soil is the foundation of your yard & garden Don’t put a $100 plant in a 10 cent hole! Add compost to lawns & planting beds to increase soil organic matter and life to your soil. If needed, use organic/slow-release fertilizer –Improper use of fertilizers can damage beneficial soil life essential for healthy soils and plants. Sweep fertilizer from sidewalks or driveways back onto yard or garden to avoid runoff

Build and Maintain Healthy Soil with Compost and Mulch 1 Mulch it! –Flower beds and vegetable gardens –Trees, shrubs and woody perennials –Lawns

Grasscycle! –Less Work –Less Waste –Less Cost –Less Fertilizer –Less Water –40 x 100 ft lawn produces about 1,200 pounds - nearly 50 bags - of grass clippings each year –Reduce mowing time by 30-40% by not bagging –Returns nutrients and organic matter to the soil – reducing, even eliminating the need for fertilizers and watering

Plant Right For Your Site Know your yard and how you use it Right Plant - Right Place Pick plants that resist pests –Native and low- maintenance plants Avoid invasive plants Recycle plant containers Donate unwanted plants

Energy Conservation / Cooling Use trees to shade buildings & pavement Can lower energy bills by 25% A/C bills % Heating bills % Air temperature up to 25% cooler under tree

Too much of a good thing – causes many common plant problems Give your lawn and garden just what they need, and no more Water deeply but infrequently one inch of water a week - one inch of water a week Practice Smart Watering

Build soil with compost and mulch to hold water and reduce evaporation Choose low-water use plants Soaker hoses and drip irrigation puts water where it’s needed Watering early in the morning is best In a dry spell, allow an established lawn to go dormant – water just once a month Practice Smart Watering

Capture, Manage & Use Water Wisely Rain barrels capture rain for later use Reduce impermeable areas to minimize runoff (concrete & asphalt) Slow and allow rain to recharge groundwater with rain gardens

Adopt a holistic approach to Pest Management Start with prevention –Maintain healthy soil –Select pest resistant plants –Use a variety of plants –Mow higher to choke out weeds Identify before you squash or stomp Accept a little damage – give nature time to work

Adopt a holistic approach to Pest Management Most bugs (85-95%) are good bugs Monitor and assess Mechanical controls Choose least toxic option –Integrated Pest Management(IPM) –Killing bad bugs kills good bugs too Follow label directions carefully Spot treat rather than broadcast

Practice Natural Lawn Care Mow higher Mow regularly Leave clippings on the lawn –does NOT cause thatch Mulching mowers reduce mowing time by % by not having to bag clippings!

Practice Natural Lawn Care Water deeply, but infrequently, to moisten the whole root zone To improve the quality of your lawn: –Core aerate –Top-dress with compost –Overseed Consider shrinking your lawn …

Practice Natural Lawn Care Ask: Do I really need all this lawn? #1 “crop” in USA Highest maintenance plant When lawns replace forest - stream flooding is much more severe Surveys show higher concentrations of some pesticides, particularly insecticides, in urban streams than in agricultural streams.

Practice Natural Lawn Care Where you do need lawn remember: Good soil = good lawn Add organic matter or compost pH of 6.5 ideal Corn meal gluten for spring germinating weeds and crabgrass Test the soil! Organic slow release fertilizer in the fall feeds the roots only if needed Photo: Britt Slattery, USFWS

Homeowners and communities that GreenScape: Have a great-looking yard that's – easier to care for – cheaper to maintain – healthier for families, pets, wildlife and the environment

Thank You! Questions? For more info … Jean Schwab (703)