Burning Alternatives

Choose one or more of these
healthier alternative to burning

• Haul it! - Rake up your excess material and haul it to your nearest Recycling/Transfer Station. Call the Recycling Hotline for more information, 625-6800. For a list of Spokane-area businesses that peform yard work, haul and/or dispose of natural vegetation, click here or call Spokane Clean Air at 477-4727. Also, ABCO Wood Recycling, 1 block south of Francis off Freya, accepts woody debris for free. Contact them at 866-303-0663.
  
  
• Attend a free Recycling and Composting Event!  Spokane Clean Air co-sponsors two "Recycling & Composting" events in the fall and spring. ABCO Wood Recycling is the major event sponsor. The last event was held on Saturday, April 10, 2010, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., at Fire Station #49 located near Hwy 395 and Monroe Rd in north Spokane County. Our next event will be held in south Spokane County on Saturday, October 2, 2010, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., at the Valleyford Fire Station #82. Composting sessions, presented by the Spokane County Master Composters Volunteer Program, will be held throughout the day and those with ID verifying Spokane County residency will receive a free compost bin upon completion of the training.
  
  
• Compost it! - Composting yard and garden waste protects our air, land and water resources while providing a rich garden fertilizer. "How to Compost" workshops are held free for the public throughout the year. For workshop dates and locations, contact the Recycling Hotline at 625-6800. Click here to view a Composting 101 video clip.
  
  
• Chip it!  - Some residents are choosing to chip their debris. Chippers may be rented or a chipping service hired to take care of your material. Wood chips make excellent mulch around trees and shrubs and can also be used to soften garden paths.
  
  
• Mulch it! - By mulching, we can easily put nature’s recycling system to work in our own backyard. Spread yard and garden debris around shrubs, trees, and other plantings. Mulching keeps the soil loose and moist, smothers weeds, prevents soil loss and releases nutrients as it decomposes.
  
  
• Recycle it!  - "Grasscycling" utilizes a special mulching lawn mower designed to chop the grass finely and return the clippings to the soil. Grass clippings break down quickly into a natural fertilizer and will not cause thatch. Consider updating to a mulching mower to eliminate the need for grass clipping disposal.