HEY EDMONTON
THIS FALL OILERS FANS ARE BECOMING LEAF FANS
RETIRE THE RAKE
BE A PROUD LEAF FAN

We know Oilers fans could never be true Leafs fans. But don’t hate on leaves—they’re our friends. This year, be loyal to the soil and take your fall yard cleaning routine from back-breaking to soil-nourishing in these 4 easy steps.

Leave the leaves

We know it won’t be easy to break your rake habit. Will people think you’re lazy? Not if they know what’s best for Mother Earth. Take a stand for your soil and retire the rake.

Mow into mulch

Lawn or garden

Enjoy free fertilizer

Over winter, your leaves will compost into an all-natural, nutrient-rich fertilizer that will feed next year’s grass and microbes in the soil that are essential to plant growth.


WHY LEAVE YOUR LEAVES?

There are many reasons it’s a good idea to leave the leaves in your yard this fall.

Many small creatures that are an important part of our ecosystem, including critical pollinating species such as butterflies and moths, rely on the fallen leaf layer for shelter and food over winter.

Leaves are full of essential nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen that act as natural fertilizers to support the health of our soil, which means healthier plants, foods and greener lawns.

Raking and bagging leaves is a waste of your time and valuable resources. Instead of spending money on potentially harmful synthetic fertilizers to “green” your lawn, just leave the leaves to do it naturally.

A lot of plastic and paper bags are used in bagging leaves, which represents a significant source of waste that ends up in Edmonton’s landfill every year, not to mention the cost of waste collectors to take it all there.

Gas-powered equipment used to blow away leaves is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. A 2011 study found that a leaf blower emits double the amount of nitrous oxide and nearly 300 times more hydrocarbons than a Ford F-150 truck!

The more leaves and other yard “waste” collection trucks have to pick up, the more trips they need to take to the waste management centre, resulting in more greenhouse gas emissions. 


A FIRST STEP TOWARDS RETHINKING OUR YARDS