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The Compost Company's organic bagged compost placed on a flower bed in full bloom.

Winter Soil Prep: Why Compost Matters in Cold Months

By Composting Education & FAQs

Winter is one of the most overlooked seasons for improving soil health, yet it may be the most important one. As plants enter dormancy and microbial activity slows, the groundwork you lay now determines how well your landscape performs in spring. Effective winter soil preparation helps protect roots, improve structure, support moisture retention, and set your garden beds and lawn up for stronger growth once temperatures rise. Whether you manage residential landscapes, commercial properties, or just want to improve the soil at your own home, winter is a strategic time to strengthen your soil with compost.

Why Winter Soil Health Matters More Than Most People Think

Most people assume soil work is strictly a spring chore, but winter plays a key role in the long-term health of turf, garden beds, and tree systems. Cooler temperatures slow plant growth but create ideal conditions for:

  • Soil rebuilding
  • Organic matter breakdown
  • Improved microbial balance
  • Moisture retention during dormant periods

These benefits help reduce spring erosion, encourage deeper root systems, and stabilize nutrient availability when plants wake up again.

Applying compost in winter strengthens the soil during its “resting” phase so it can fully support new growth in the months ahead.

How Compost Supports Soil Through Winter

Adding compost during winter offers benefits that synthetic fertilizers cannot replicate. Rather than feeding plants alone, compost improves the soil itself.

  • Better Soil Structure – Cold weather often leads to compaction. Compost increases soil porosity, allowing air and water to move through the soil more evenly. This creates a healthier foundation for root development in spring.
  • Moisture Regulation – Winter rainfall can wash nutrients away. Compost helps soil hold moisture without becoming waterlogged, which reduces runoff and improves resilience during temperature swings.
  • Nutrient Storage for Spring – Compost breaks down slowly over winter and stores nutrients in the soil profile. Once temperatures rise, plants have immediate access to a natural and steady supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
  • Microbial Protection – Even in cold weather, microbial life continues. Compost helps insulate beneficial microbes and gives them the organic matter they need to stay active. A microbially rich soil reacts better to extreme cold and recovers more quickly in early spring.

Where Compost Makes the Biggest Impact During Winter

  • Garden Beds – Adding compost on top of beds during winter is one of the most effective ways to restore soil after heavy summer use and fall cleanups. It helps protect perennial roots, enriches depleted soil, and supports moisture retention.
  • Lawns and Turf Areas – While reseeding is best done in fall, winter is still an ideal time to apply compost to lawns. A light topdressing improves soil structure and helps turf recover from summer heat and foot traffic.
  • Tree Bases and Shrub Lines – Trees benefit from compost applied in winter because it improves soil aeration and supports root health during dormancy. It also helps stabilize temperature fluctuations around the root zone.
  • Commercial and Municipal Landscapes – Large properties often need predictable soil performance. Winter composting supports erosion control, reduces long-term maintenance needs, and prepares public or commercial spaces for heavy spring usage.

How to Apply Compost for Winter Soil Preparation

You do not need to till compost into the soil during winter. Surface application is enough and often preferred. Here are recommended guidelines:

  • Garden beds: Apply 1 to 2 inches over the surface
  • Lawns: Topdress lightly, about 0.25 inches
  • Tree bases: Apply a wide ring of compost, leaving a small gap around the trunk
  • Slopes: Add compost with mulch to help prevent seasonal erosion

Wind, rain, and natural decomposition will move compost into the soil structure through winter, requiring no additional labor.

Choosing the Right Compost for Winter

The Compost Company produces high-quality compost blends designed for a variety of soil types and landscape needs. For winter specifically, finished compost is ideal because it delivers:

  • Stable organic matter
  • Balanced nutrients
  • Improved water absorption
  • Uniform consistency for easy spreading

If you manage multiple properties or need consistent results over a large area, bulk compost purchased by the cubic yard provides better coverage and cost efficiency.

See what types of compost products The Compost Company offers here.

Winter Soil Prep for Large Properties and Commercial Sites

For property managers, landscapers, farms, and municipal grounds crews, winter is a strategic window to prepare soil without disrupting customer traffic or warm-season operations.

Bulk deliveries simplify winter soil prep for:

  • School campuses
  • Business parks
  • Athletic fields
  • Municipal properties
  • Large residential developments
  • Commercial landscapes

Ordering compost in bulk ensures consistent material and reduces the cost and waste of bagged products. Want to order directly from The Compost Company? Submit an online order here.

For commercial clients who also generate food waste or organic materials during winter operations, compost pickup services offer a way to recycle that material locally while supporting soil health in the region. Interested in commercial composting with The Compost Company? Fill out an inquiry form and someone from our staff will reach out to you to discuss your business needs.

Pairing Compost with Mulch for Maximum Winter Protection

To maximize winter soil preparation, consider pairing compost with mulch. Compost provides nutrients and improves structure, while mulch creates a protective barrier that stabilizes moisture and temperature.

A simple process works extremely well:

  1. Spread compost over the soil.
  2. Add a thin layer of mulch on top for insulation.

This combination protects perennial roots, improves microbial activity, and reduces winter erosion without additional fertilizer.

Common Winter Soil Prep Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

  • Using synthetic fertilizer instead of compost – Fertilizer alone does not improve soil. Winter is the season to build the foundation, not push growth.
  • Applying too much mulch without compost – Mulch protects soil but does not replenish nutrients. Compost keeps soil fertile.
  • Ignoring compacted turf or garden beds – Compaction during winter restricts root development. Compost helps loosen the soil naturally.
  • Waiting for spring – If you wait until spring to rebuild your soil, you miss the dormant season when compost can do the most good.

Final Thoughts

Winter soil preparation gives landscapes a head start on spring growth. Compost enriches the soil, strengthens structure, improves moisture retention, and supports microbial life through the coldest months of the year. For homeowners, property managers, and commercial sites, applying compost in winter is a simple investment that delivers healthier lawns, stronger shrubs, and richer garden beds when the growing season begins.

How Local Businesses Can Reduce Holiday Waste Through Composting

By Compost Pickup Services, Composting Education & FAQs

The holiday season brings higher foot traffic, special events, seasonal menus, and the potential for a whole lot of extra scraps. For many restaurants, retailers, and offices, November and December create a spike in food scraps, packaging, décor materials, and organic waste that usually ends up in the trash. That makes this the perfect time for businesses to rethink their approach and adopt greener systems like composting holiday waste, which can significantly reduce landfill impact and support more sustainable operations.

Why Holiday Waste Grows So Quickly

The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day generate more waste than any other period during the year. Businesses experience this most through:

  • Seasonal menu prep
  • Catered events and parties
  • Increased customer volume
  • Extra décor and displays
  • Shorter work weeks that lead to rushed cleanup
  • Shelf-life issues with holiday-themed produce or ingredients

Across the country, much of this goes directly to landfills. In Tennessee, where landfill space is limited, every ton diverted makes a meaningful difference. Composting helps businesses reduce their environmental footprint while turning organic waste into something valuable for the local community.

What Types of Holiday Waste Can Be Composted

Many businesses do not realize how much of their seasonal waste actually counts as compostable. Holiday waste often includes:

  • Vegetable scraps, fruit, and produce
  • Expired ingredients and bakery items
  • Coffee grounds and tea leaves
  • Cardboard packaging and paper materials
  • Florals, wreaths, and natural décor
  • Leftover food from catered events
  • Pumpkin, squash, and gourd scraps from autumn displays
  • Tree trimmings and greenery

When separated correctly, this material can be collected and converted into nutrient-rich compost instead of taking up landfill space.

Composting Solutions for Restaurants and Cafes

Holiday menus create both excitement and pressure for restaurants. With special dishes, seasonal produce, and increased reservations, waste increases in the kitchen. Composting offers a simple way to manage this.

Benefits for food service businesses:

  • Lower disposal and dumpster fees
  • Cleaner kitchens with fewer trash bags
  • Improved sustainability metrics for customers
  • Opportunities to promote eco-conscious dining
  • Better handling of expired or seasonal ingredients

Restaurants can compost vegetable scraps, spent herbs, coffee grounds, paper goods, and holiday-specific waste like pumpkin puree, decorative gourds, and seasonal trimmings. With a collection schedule in place, staff simply sort organic waste into compost bins and The Compost Company handles the rest.

Composting for Offices, Retailers, and Corporate Spaces

Holiday parties, catered lunches, employee gatherings, and customer events all create significant organic waste. Retailers also discard natural holiday décor, old plants, floral centerpieces, and greenery.

When composting is added into the workflow, it helps businesses:

  • Reduce the volume of trash generated during events
  • Repurpose natural décor instead of discarding it
  • Show employees and customers they are committed to sustainability
  • Keep back rooms and common areas cleaner

Many offices in Middle Tennessee already compost year-round. The holiday season simply increases what goes in the bin.

How Special Events Can Reduce Waste Through Composting

Holiday markets, company parties, winter festivals, and community events create intense short-term waste. Composting services are a simple way to run cleaner, more sustainable events.

Event organizers can compost:

  • Food scraps from vendors
  • Expired produce
  • Paper service ware
  • Greenery and natural décor
  • Holiday plants used for staging

Setting up composting stations or scheduling event pickup keeps waste out of the landfill and helps organizers track their sustainability impact.

How The Compost Company Supports Holiday Waste Reduction

The Compost Company works with hundreds of businesses across Middle Tennessee to manage seasonal waste responsibly. During the holiday season, they provide:

  • Scheduled compost pickup services
  • On-site bins tailored to business needs
  • Waste diversion data for sustainability reporting
  • Support for seasonal markets and holiday events
  • Processing of natural décor, produce, and food waste

For smaller businesses or households that want to participate, dropoff sites throughout Nashville accept approved organic waste without requiring a commercial pickup service.

This dual system ensures that composting is accessible to everyone, regardless of volume.

Best Practices for Setting Up Holiday Waste Composting

Transitioning to composting during the holidays is easier than most businesses expect. Here are helpful steps:

  1. Train staff early – Teach teams how to sort food scraps, paper products, and natural décor into the correct bins.
  2. Choose the right bin locations – Keep compost bins where most waste is generated: prep stations, break rooms, and event areas.
  3. Label everything clearly – Clear, visual signage helps prevent contamination during busy service hours.
  4. Coordinate your pickup schedule – During peak season, many businesses increase their collection frequency to match volume.
  5. Promote your efforts – Customers love supporting businesses that prioritize sustainability. Share the initiative on social media or through table cards, receipts, or email updates.

Why Composting Beats Landfilling During the Holidays

While trash collection gets more expensive during peak season, composting offers long-term benefits for both businesses and the environment. Organic waste that ends up in landfills creates methane, increases disposal costs, and wastes materials that could have been recycled into soil amendments.

Composting diverts that waste and transforms it into products that support farms, landscapes, gardens, and green infrastructure across Tennessee. It is a simple, practical way for businesses to reduce their impact during the most waste-heavy time of the year.

Final Thoughts

The holiday season should be a time to celebrate, not a time to generate unnecessary waste. By adopting composting practices when waste is at its highest, local businesses can support a cleaner community and reduce their environmental footprint. Whether you run a restaurant, manage an office, or host seasonal events, composting provides a better way forward for your team and your customers. When businesses embrace holiday waste composting, they turn a seasonal challenge into a meaningful contribution to local sustainability.

Ready to set up commercial composting for your organization? We make it easy to get started. Tell us a bit about your waste needs using the form below, and a member of our team will follow up with more information and next steps.

 

Composting Pumpkins: How to Recycle Halloween Waste the Sustainable Way

By Composting Education & FAQs

Every Halloween, millions of pumpkins decorate porches, front yards, and storefronts, and by November 1, most of them end up in the trash. But those bright orange decorations don’t have to become landfill waste. Learning about composting pumpkins turns a holiday tradition into an opportunity to give back to the environment. Instead of contributing to methane-producing landfill waste, your leftover pumpkins can help create nutrient-rich compost that restores soil health and supports sustainable landscaping.

Whether you manage a business, or carving your own pumpkins at home, composting pumpkins is an easy seasonal habit that can make a big difference.

 

Why Pumpkin Waste Is a Bigger Problem Than You Think

More than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins are grown in the U.S. every year, and most of them end up discarded after Halloween. When pumpkins are thrown in the trash, they’re sent to landfills, where they decompose without oxygen. That anaerobic breakdown produces methane, a greenhouse gas more than 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

In Tennessee and surrounding states, where landfill space is limited and disposal costs continue to rise, this is a growing issue. Composting helps break that cycle by turning organic waste back into a natural resource instead of a pollutant. Every carved pumpkin diverted from the landfill is a small but meaningful step toward sustainability.

 

The Benefits of Composting Pumpkins

Composting pumpkins offers environmental, practical, and community benefits:

  • Reduces landfill waste: Keeps heavy, moisture-rich pumpkins out of municipal waste systems.
  • Improves soil health: Compost adds organic matter, boosts microbial activity, and enhances water retention.
  • Saves on disposal costs: Municipalities and property managers can cut hauling expenses during the high-volume post-Halloween cleanup season.
  • Supports local composting programs: Businesses and households that participate in compost pickup or drop-off programs help strengthen the regional composting network.

At The Compost Company, thousands of pounds of pumpkins are composted each fall. They’re collected from local events, schools, and community drop-offs, then transformed into nutrient-rich compost used by landscapers and gardeners across Middle Tennessee.

 

How to Compost Pumpkins at Home

If you have a small number of pumpkins to dispose of, composting at home is simple. Follow these steps to make the process efficient and odor-free:

  1. Remove decorations: Take off candles, paint, stickers, or glitter. Only the pumpkin flesh and stem belong in compost.
  2. Chop or break apart: The smaller the pieces, the faster they’ll break down.
  3. Mix with browns: Combine your pumpkin pieces with dry leaves, straw, or cardboard to balance moisture and carbon content.
  4. Keep it covered: Add a layer of leaves or soil to prevent pests and odors.
  5. Turn regularly: Stir or flip your compost pile every few weeks to promote airflow and speed decomposition.

By early spring, your compost will be rich, dark, and ready to use in gardens, lawns, or landscaping projects.

 

Community Composting and Drop-Off Options

For those without space or time to compost at home, local composting programs make the process easy. In the Nashville area, The Compost Company offers convenient drop-off locations for seasonal items like pumpkins, yard waste, and food scraps.

Businesses and event organizers can also arrange bulk pickup services for large collections, from fall festivals and community events to farm stands. Scheduled pickups ensure pumpkins are composted sustainably while keeping your site clean and organized.

Participating in local composting programs not only diverts organic material from landfills but also supports circular economies, where waste becomes a resource that goes back into the community as finished compost.

 

Tips for Large-Scale Pumpkin Composting

If you manage a business or have an event that generates significant pumpkin waste, here are a few best practices to handle it efficiently:

  • Plan ahead: Coordinate compost pickup or drop-off schedules before Halloween weekend.
  • Separate pumpkins from trash: Provide clear signage at collection points to reduce contamination.
  • Store temporarily if needed: Keep pumpkins in a shaded, cool area until pickup day to prevent rot or odor.
  • Encourage public participation: Partner with local composting facilities to host “Pumpkin Drop” events that let residents dispose of pumpkins responsibly.

Throughout the year, The Compost Company partners with schools, businesses, and community groups across Middle Tennessee to keep organic waste out of landfills. By composting food scraps, landscaping debris, and seasonal materials like pumpkins, these partnerships turn everyday waste into something that benefits the entire community.

 

Composting Pumpkins for Businesses and Institutions

Beyond households, composting pumpkins is a simple way for restaurants and grocery stores to reduce waste. From seasonal menus to fall produce displays, leftover pumpkins can quickly pile up, and composting keeps them from ending up in the trash.

  • Reduce disposal costs compared to landfill hauling
  • Improve ESG and sustainability reporting metrics
  • Strengthen community reputation as an environmentally responsible organization

Scheduled compost pickup services through The Compost Company allow businesses to manage food and organic waste seamlessly, no matter the season.

 

Creative Ways to Reuse or Recycle Pumpkins Before Composting

Not every pumpkin needs to go straight into the compost bin. Before you toss them, consider these sustainable reuse ideas:

  • Wildlife feeders: Cut pumpkins in half and leave them outside for squirrels, birds, or deer.
  • Garden enrichment: Mix small chunks directly into garden soil to add organic matter.
  • Animal feed: Farms and animal rescues often accept unpainted, uncarved pumpkins for livestock.
  • Fall planters: Hollow out pumpkins to use as temporary compostable pots for mums or succulents.

Once you’re done reusing them, composting ensures that every piece of the pumpkin completes the natural cycle.

 

Final Thoughts

Halloween doesn’t have to mean piles of orange waste heading to the landfill. By composting pumpkins, you help reduce methane emissions, improve soil health, and support a more sustainable community. Whether you’re composting at home, scheduling a pickup for your business, or dropping pumpkins off at a local site, every effort counts.

This year, keep Halloween fun going without the waste.

 

Find a Drop-Off Site Near YouRequest Compost Pickup Services

Compost vs. Fertilizer: Key Differences and When to Use Each

By Composting Education & FAQs

Soil health is the foundation of every successful lawn, landscape, or agricultural project. Yet many property owners, landscapers, and farmers still struggle with one big question: what’s better for the job, compost or fertilizer? The truth is that both can play an important role… but they aren’t interchangeable. Understanding when to use compost vs fertilizer will help you choose the right product for your goals, whether you’re growing healthier turf, supporting large-scale agriculture, or simply keeping residential properties in top shape.

What is Compost?

Compost is decomposed organic matter, often made from food scraps, leaves, grass clippings, and other natural materials. At The Compost Company, this process is scaled up to handle large amounts of organics from municipalities, businesses, and property managers. Once finished, compost becomes a nutrient-rich soil amendment that:

  • Improves soil structure by adding organic matter
  • Retains moisture and reduces watering needs
  • Provides a slow release of nutrients over time
  • Supports microbial activity essential for healthy soils
  • Increases yield and productivity

What is Fertilizer?

Fertilizer is a concentrated product that provides specific nutrients—primarily nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Fertilizers can be synthetic (manufactured with chemical compounds) or organic (made from natural sources such as bone meal or manure).

Fertilizer is most often used to:

  • Deliver a quick nutrient boost
  • Correct specific soil deficiencies
  • Support intensive crop or turf production

Compost vs. Fertilizer: Key Differences

While compost and fertilizer both provide nutrients, they work in very different ways:

Feature Compost Fertilizer
Nutrient release Slow, steady Fast, immediate
Soil health Builds organic matter and microbial activity Does not improve soil structure
Longevity Long-term soil benefits Short-term boost
Environmental impact Diverts waste, reduces landfill methane Can leach into waterways if over-applied
Best use Improving soil, long-term fertility Correcting deficiencies, rapid growth

Understanding these differences helps property owners and professionals make informed choices for their land management.

When to Use Compost

Compost is best used when the goal is to build strong, resilient soil that sustains plants season after season. Ideal applications include:

  • Lawn topdressing: Thin layers improve turf health and reduce the need for constant fertilization.
  • Garden beds and landscapes: Mixing compost into planting areas boosts structure and supports root growth.
  • Agriculture: Farmers use compost to increase organic matter and improve water retention in large fields. Studies show soils becoming more productive yield/acre
  • Erosion control: Compost blankets stabilize slopes and reduce runoff on construction and landscaping sites.

Because compost improves soil over time, it’s a smart investment for property managers, landscapers, municipalities, and even homeowners looking to reduce long-term costs as well as labor. Healthy soil requires less work.

When to Use Fertilizer

Fertilizer has its place, especially when rapid growth or correction is needed. Examples include:

  • Nutrient deficiencies: Soil tests showing a lack of nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium can be corrected with targeted fertilizer applications.
  • High-demand crops: Some agricultural operations use fertilizers to meet the nutrient needs of intensive production schedules. Unfortunately, increasing amounts of fertilizer are required to produce crop, and runoff is often the unintended result.

That said, fertilizer works best when paired with compost. Fertilizer provides the quick fix; compost provides the foundation.

The Power of Using Both Together

The smartest soil management strategy often involves using both compost and fertilizer. Here’s how they complement each other:

  • Compost improves soil structure and biology, creating an environment where roots can thrive.
  • Fertilizer delivers immediate nutrients when plants need a boost.
  • Together, they reduce the risk of over-fertilization, since compost helps soils hold nutrients instead of letting them wash away.
  • Over time, the need for fertilizer is reduced

Final Thoughts

The question of compost vs fertilizer isn’t about choosing one forever. It’s about understanding what each product offers and using them strategically. Compost strengthens soil for the long term, while fertilizer provides a quick boost when needed. For property managers, landscapers, municipalities, and homeowners, the best results often come from making compost the foundation of soil health and using fertilizer as a supplemental tool.

Ready to build healthier soil for your next project?

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Turning Fall Yard Waste into Healthy Soil

By Composting Education & FAQs

Communities of all sizes face the same challenge every fall: what to do with all that yard waste? When leaves blanket everything, what should we do to them? In nature, leaves decompose to feed Spring growth. Elsewhere, we’re not always willing to let that cycle take it’s course but we shouldn’t deprive our soils of this important cycle.

Leaf drop season is the perfect time to turn yard waste into compost so that it can give back to the environment.

Why Yard Waste Management Matters

Every year, thousands of tons of leaves and yard debris end up in landfills across the United States. In Tennessee and surrounding states, landfill space is limited, and disposal fees add up quickly. In landfills, yard waste breaks down anaerobically, producing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. By diverting leaves, grass clippings, and small branches into composting systems, property owners and businesses can:

  • Reduce disposal costs
  • Improve soil health through compost returns
  • Support community-wide sustainability initiatives
  • Keep landscapes tidy and professional-looking

Composting Yard Waste Effectively

The best way to manage leaf drop and seasonal yard debris is through composting. By turning leaves, grass clippings, and small branches into nutrient-rich compost, property owners and organizations produce a soil amendment that restores fertility and structure for healthier landscapes.

For larger cleanups, individual leaf piles or small backyard bins aren’t always practical. That’s where large-scale composting comes in. Municipalities often rely on it to process park and street collections, property managers use it for subdivisions or campus-wide cleanups, and landscapers turn to it for consistent results across multiple client sites.

At The Compost company, yard waste is collected and processed at scale, then returned to the community as finished compost, available by the cubic yard for delivery.

Leaf Composting Tips for Property Owners

If you’re managing your own yard cleanup, here are best practices for composting leaves effectively:

  1. Shred before composting: Chopping leaves into smaller pieces helps them break down faster.
  2. Balance with greens: Mix leaves (carbon-rich browns) with nitrogen-rich materials like grass clippings or food scraps.
  3. Keep piles aerated: Turn piles regularly or ensure airflow to prevent compaction. Home composting takes effort, but the results speak for themselves. You get out what you put in!
  4. Add compost back to soil: Apply finished compost to enrich lawns, garden beds, and tree bases.

For large properties, backyard piles may not be practical. Bulk pickup or local compost drop-off services make disposal easier.

Mulching with Leaves

Not all leaves need to be composted right away. Shredded leaves make an excellent mulch for protecting soil through the winter. A 2–3 inch layer of shredded leaves:

  • Helps insulate soil
  • Prevents erosion during seasonal rains
  • Suppresses weeds in planting beds
  • Returns nutrients to the soil down

For larger applications, combine your shredded leaves with mulch blends like Compost Mulch to provide long-term protection and soil improvement.

Yard Waste Pickup Services for Businesses

Businesses, schools, and organizations with cafeteria food waste, landscaping debris, or seasonal leaf cleanup can streamline disposal with compost pickup services. Instead of hauling waste to the dump, compost pickup ensures organic material is recycled locally and repurposed into usable products like compost and mulch.

By working with The Compost Company, organizations gain:

  • Regular scheduled pickups
  • Waste diversion reporting for sustainability metrics
  • Cost savings compared to landfill disposal
  • Peace of mind knowing waste is recycled responsibly

For households or smaller cleanups that don’t generate enough for a scheduled pickup, The Compost Company also offers convenient drop-off sites across Nashville. This way, both businesses and households can keep organic waste out of the landfill and support local sustainability.

Final Thoughts

Leaf drop doesn’t have to mean endless bags of waste heading to the landfill. By turning yard waste into compost, mulching with shredded leaves, or arranging regular services, property owners and businesses can turn a seasonal chore into a long-term investment in soil health and sustainability.

Ready to put your yard waste to work? Whether you’re a business looking for scheduled pickups, or a homeowner searching for a local drop-off site, The Compost Company makes yard waste management simple and sustainable.

 

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