By Paul Kwiatkowski
Zero waste is the ultimate goal of our sustainable land care efforts . While this may not be achievable now , initiatives are underway to draw Mount Auburn closer to meeting this goal . Reusing , repurposing and recycling of landscape material on site is the backbone of these sustainable efforts .
The plant collections benefit through strategies to improve soil biology and increase organic matter . This is accomplished by mulching grass clippings and fallen leaves in place on 75 % of the grounds . Twenty-five percent of grass clippings and fallen leaves are collected and incorporated into feedstock for compost creation and returned to the grounds as turf topdressing , garden soil amendments , and potting mix at the greenhouse . Mount Auburn creates its own woodchips from tree and shrub pruning and removals . This material is used for walking paths and is utilized in mulch creation as well . When combined with collected , aged leaves and run through a tub grinder , the finished product is an aesthetically pleasing mulch that suppresses weeds and increases moisture retention in garden spaces . The creation of these materials on site eliminates the need to purchase and ship bulk amounts , thus reducing carbon emissions from deliveries .
Other elements of Mount Auburn ’ s efforts include asphalt : recycled into new mixtures ; stone : crushed and repurposed into new base material ; firewood : split and dried from pruning and tree takedowns for staff to use for home heating and recreation ; large logs and stumps : chipped and sent to local biomass facilities .
Finally , plant propagation and growing supplies are costly and very problematic when discarded to landfills . The plastics do not breakdown quickly or easily and significantly add to refuse biomass . Mount Auburn reuses all materials when possible , including seed trays , pots , cell pack liners and flats to reduce waste .
Goals for Reuse , Repurpose & Recycle : Land Care
SHORT-TERM GOALS ( FY2022 - FY2024 ): a . Continue on-going annual actions : i . reuse , repurpose and recycling efforts b . Create plan for new recycling area footprint as part of the Campus-wide Facilities
Master Plan
MEDIUM-TERM GOALS ( FY 2025 - FY2034 ): 1 . Construct new recycling area
LONG-TERM GOALS ( FY 2035- FY 2050 ): 1 . TBD
Recycling Yard Metrics of Mount Auburn ’ s landscape and road materials are on the next two pages .
Mount Auburn Cemetery | Climate Action & Sustainability Plan 48