If you’ve got piles on piles of old mulch lying around that you don’t know what to do with, you’re not alone. Most people who have old mulch to dispose of have no clue how to dispose of it. Should you take it to the dump, a waste facility, or simply burn it?
Today, we will be overviewing just that: how to dispose of old much. If you have old mulch lying around that you need to get rid of, look no further. This article will tell you everything you need to know about disposing of mulch. So, let’s address everyone’s big question first; can you burn old mulch?
Can You Burn Old Mulch?
Can you burn old mulch? No, you cannot burn old mulch. You must know this, as burning old mulch can have a profound impact. When you’re working with mulch, you should know beforehand that you cannot burn the old mulch.
So, what do you do instead? There are many other ways you can dispose of mulch but the bottom line is this: never burn mulch. It is very important that you know this. If you take away anything from this article let it be this: do not burn your old mulch. But why not? Is there a danger factor or is it simply just not recommended? We will be discussing that and more next.
Why Can’t You Burn Old Mulch?
The main reason why you absolutely should not burn mulch is that it is very flammable. Mulch is the start of hundreds of fires every year. You could ignite mulch on a day when the sun is really hot, or from an improperly discarded cigarette.
It is very dangerous to ignite mulch new or old, as it is highly flammable and prone to starting fires. Do not bring fire anywhere near mulch, as it could start a small fire right in front of you. A pile of mulch chips can generate enough heat to spontaneously combust. This is the main reason why you should never burn old mulch.
On top of it being highly dangerous to burn mulch, it just isn’t functional. Even if you took some precautions before burning the mulch, it could still explode right in front of you. It is absolutely not functional or acceptable to attempt to burn mulch. If you’re looking for a way to get rid of old mulch, burning it isn’t the way to go. It can cause serious issues.
But what other ways are there to dispose of old mulch? If we can’t burn the mulch, how are we going to get rid of it? This and much more will be covered right now!
How to Dispose of Old Mulch
Now that we have established exactly why you cannot burn much, let’s go over a couple of the ways you can safely dispose of old mulch. There are a variety of different methods for getting rid of old mulch, so without further ado, let’s dive right into exactly what you can do.
Whatever method you choose to do, all these alternatives are effective and perfect alternatives to burning old mulch.
Put it in a Yard Waste Bag
If you have a lot of old mulch you need to get rid of, consider packing it all up in a yard waste bag. Simply shovel or pick up the mulch and dump it into a yard waste bag. Once you’re done, you can put it at the end of your driveway if you have a composting service.
If you don’t have a composting service or anyone to take your yard waste bags, don’t worry. There is a way you can still dispose of them yourself. Community dumpster services or other similar resources would be happy to take your waste away. It’s typically free to bring your yard waste prepacked and ready to go.
If you decide to go for this method, make sure that before you fill up the bags you know where you’re taking them. Because if you end up packing and filling a whole bunch of waste bags and then have nowhere for them to go, what are you supposed to do? That’s exactly why you should check beforehand. Now, what way could you do this method with less effort?
Hire a Landscaper to Dispose of the Waste
If you would rather not spend an afternoon bagging old mulch and driving to waste disposal, there are other options. If you would prefer, you can hire a landscaping company to come and do that exact thing.
The landscapers would come and bag up your old mulch and then take it away for disposal. This is a much simpler way to dispose of your old mulch. However, if you would rather put in the work than hire someone else to do so, you could do it on your own.
Again, just remember to research where to dispose of the yard waste bags. If you’re still looking for another way to get rid of your old mulch, don’t worry. There are still more ways we have to cover on how to dispose of old mulch.
Compost it
Possibly an even simpler way of disposing of your old mulch is simply by composting it yourself. Of course, if you use dyed mulch, it cannot be disposed of this way. In this case, do some more research on where and how you can dispose of dyed mulch.
Wood mulch and most other types of mulch, however, can be disposed of via compost. If you have a composting system at home, this may be the perfect way to get rid of that pesky old mulch. Otherwise, there is one more option that doesn’t involve any composting at all.
Reuse it!
If you don’t want to compost your old mulch or it simply isn’t an option for you to dispose of it in that way, you could always reuse it. Simply putting some new mulch on top of the old could be the perfect way to freshen up your garden and not waste any mulch in the process.
If you don’t want to waste a bunch of mulch just because it is old, you can just mix it with some new mulch. Using old mulch doesn’t have any adverse effects, it simply just might not look as fresh as usual.
That’s where the mixing comes in. Mix in some old mulch with the new stuff and just like that your garden is freshened up and perfect for a new season!
In Summary
Overall, there are many different ways you can get rid of your old mulch. That’s why it is so incredibly important that you know one of those ways is not burning mulch. If you take one thing away from this article, remember that mulch is highly combustible and could put you in serious danger if you set it aflame.
Instead of lighting your old mulch on fire, there are many other alternatives that do the job just fine. For example, you can put all your old mulch into yard waste bags and send them out to be composted or collected. Alternatively, you could hire a landscaper or yard worker to do exactly that for you.
There are many alternatives to burning old mulch, so there is absolutely no need for it to be burned. You can even reuse the mulch you don’t want anymore by mixing it with new mulch and reusing it.
In total, we have discussed four alternative methods throughout this article that you can do instead of burning mulch. So do the right thing, compost or throw away your old mulch, and reuse it even. Just remember that under no circumstances should you burn old mulch. Whatever you choose to do, do it safely.
