Recycling of Grass Trimmings Pushed

Wondering how to spend less time on the weekly chore of mowing the grass but still maintain a pretty yard while helping the environment?

You can learn how on Saturday.

An effort between Los Angeles and Orange County cities dubbed “Mow Down Pollution Partnership”--which promotes recycling grass trimmings and using electric lawn mowers--is making an educational stop in Van Nuys.

The effort was conceived last year at the Los Angeles Integrated Solid Waste Management office, which enlisted the support of other cities and agencies in the region, said Mary Loquvam, a consultant hired by the city to promote the program.

During an awareness campaign that began April 18 and will run until May 16, representatives of the program will hold nine educational events in various communities--including the one in Van Nuys on Saturday--presenting residents information on “grasscycling” and electric mowers.

“We wanted to address water quality and air pollution issues,” Loquvam said.

“Grasscycling”--a practice in which grass trimmings are left on the lawn where they decompose and their nutrients are absorbed by the earth--has been used by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks since 1990.

In 1995, according to officials, the department grasscycled 52,000 tons of lawn clippings that otherwise would have ended up in landfills. Saturday’s event will also feature information on how the use of electrical mowers helps the environment, Loquvam said.

The machines will be sold on site at reduced prices ranging from $200 to $330. People who turn in gas-powered mowers will receive an extra $30 rebate, Loquvam said. The event, at the Anheuser-Busch parking lot, 15800 Roscoe Blvd., is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.