Proper Disposal of Grass Clippings:

Property owners are required to “properly dispose of” mowed grass clippings on their property.

    First, by keeping lawns mowed to a maximum height of six inches, most lawn-care services will use mulching lawnmowers. The mulched clippings are broken up into small pieces that settle into the lawn, providing nutrients for the growing root system.

    For taller grass, mulching often is not an option. That’s when clumps of clippings remain on lawns. The GTA’s Governing Documents restrict property owners from tossing their grass clippings or other landscape waste onto Greenspace. And, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency does not permit lawn-care services from removing the clippings from your property and transporting them to another site. 

    Property owners can compost the clippings on their own property. According to Emily Lubcke, GTA Natural Resources Manager, “Landscape waste (grass clippings, leaves) may be used as natural mulch around vegetable and/or land-scape plants.  Do not use Walnut leaves for this purpose as they release a compound, Juglone, which has shown to be allelopathic to other plants, inhibiting their growth or even killing them. 

Landscape waste may also be burned within The Territory; please follow the GTA’s open burning rules and regulations.