Chipper-shredders (2014)

Abstract

Disposing of yard waste can be difficult if your municipality bans leaves, grass clippings and other forms of yard waste from landfills. Leaves and other vegetation used to make up a large portion of landfill trash, so these restrictions increase the useful life of a landfill. But they make disposal of yard waste difficult, especially in areas that also ban burning. Composting is a viable alternative for leaves and grass clippings, but it does not work well for brush and small limbs. A chipper-shredder is an alternative that works for all of these yard wastes and offers beneficial side effects as well. (For information on composting, see MU Extension publication G6956, Making and Using Compost.) Chipper-shredders reduce brush and small limbs to a size that is easier to handle and that is suitable for composting or for soil covers, which reduce moisture loss and weed growth and add beauty to a landscaped lawn. Shredding leaves and grass clippings also will reduce the time it takes for composted materials to decay.