Are you one of the masses of people who don’t reduce reuse and recycle because figuring it all out is just too discouraging. Which bin is for what? How do you know what’s recyclable and what’s not?

Does your city or town have a recycling program? Click here to search for recycling centers.  If your locality has a center you can slso look for their website or call them up (they’ll be in your phone book’s blue section, the government pages). Ask them to send you information on recycling in your area. They probably have some sort of mailer already set up for just such an inquiry. Most of the time, this mailer includes a creatively designed chart (often color-coded) that makes it easy for you to know what items to recycle and how – whether by memory or by posting the chart up on the refrigerator for quick reference.

Of course, that’s the easy answer – ask the city, they’ll tell ya. So here are some basics that apply in almost every city:

• Paper: All white paper, colored paper, newspaper, and cardboard is recyclable so long as it doesn’t have a coating on it. Some cities recycle milk cartons and T.V. dinner boxes and other paper products with wax coatings, but you’ll have to inquire to find out if yours is one.
• Plastic: Most recyclable plastic bottles have a recycling emblem – a triangle made of three arrows – on the bottom.  Almost all recycling programs acceptt #1 and #2 plastic bottles with small necks.  Many programs accept other types of plastic too.
• Aluminum: Aluminum cans also have an emblem, usually on the side somewhere (near the bottom). All aluminum soda cans and beer cans and all tuna fish containers and the like are recyclable. Just do everyone a favor and rinse them out well.
• Glass: All glass is recyclable, including colored glass, with the exception of some mixed-colored glass, broken glass, windows and mirrors, glass tableware (like drinking glasses), Pyrex, and light bulbs. Ceramic is also non-recyclable.

Place your recycling bins in whatever areas they’ll be used on a regular basis. And if you’re required to separate your recyclables in your area, then have separate bins in your kitchen, office, etc. from the get-go, because separating it later could become a chore you’d sooner avoid. You should make recycling as convenient as possible for yourself, otherwise you may not realistically stick with it. Make recycling as easy and second-nature as throwing out trash, and preserving the earth will become a lifelong habit.

In cities we spend huge amounts of human and fossil energy raking, blowing and carting them off – not to mention the thousands of plastic bags used to hold them.

In the country we tend to simply let them fall and ignore them.

But the millions of leaves that fall from our broadleaf trees each year represent a bounteous harvest far too few people ever realize.  How about you?

Dead Leaves for Feed and Bedding

Do you have sheep, goats or small animals?  Do you pay good money for hay and bedding material?  And do you have hardwood trees on your property?  If so, you may have overlooked a plentiful and inexpensive source of bedding and winter feed.

Aspen and other leaves have been used to bed down animals for centuries.  While not as absorbent as straw or shavings, the price is right and collection is usually a snap.  The leaves are also easily composted along with manure for a highly nutritious additive to your garden soil.

Dry leaves can also be used like hay as a winter staple for certain animals, such as sheep and rabbits.  Just be sure to exercise proper caution:  certain species, like black walnut and cherry, contain toxins in their leaves.  Be sure to check with a veterinarian to be sure your tree species are compatible with your animals.

Digging Dry Leaves

Dead leaves are also great for your garden.  Dig them into the soil in fall or spring to enrich your garden and make your soil loose and friable.  And a layer of leaves (shredded or whole) makes great mulch.  Again, be careful of the species you use, especially walnut or anything aromatic.   For a good lazy man’s mulch for garden beds, just blow the leaves off your yard and onto the beds.

You can also use dry leaves as a carbon-rich element in your compost pile.  They’re especially great for urban gardeners to layer in with kitchen scraps.  And if you’re into worm composting, shredded leaves make excellent bedding for the wriggly little critters!  If you also have grass clippings, mix them in with the leaves for a nitrogen boost.

Next time you’re faced with the prospect of raking up a bunch of leaves, don’t just sigh and resign yourself to the work.  Think of it as a bonus, and enjoy the harvest!