Why Landscapers Are Lined Up to Be the New Leaders in Waste Management

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, yard trimmings comprise approximately 7.2% of all Municipal Solid Waste landfilled in the U.S. by weight, totaling about 10.5 million tons. When combined with food waste, this represents about 33.7% of the total waste delivered to landfills. It’s this portion that represents the target for diversion, and landscapers, in addition to their clientele, are responsible for a significant percentage of that volume. To the conscious observer, it might seem obvious that landscaping companies are in an ideal position to manage organic waste disposal due to their existing operational and logistical structure, their direct involvement with the material, and the ability to immediately reuse the final product with their existing customer base, but this transition has never materialized.  The question is, with such valuable resources in hand, what is holding this industry back from pivoting from landfill aggregators to organic waste management facilitators?  First, let's take a look at

Why Landscapers are the Solution?

1. Access to the Raw Material

Landscapers are already the ones cutting grass, trimming hedges, removing branches, and clearing leaves. They have direct, first-hand access to vast quantities of green waste, as well as access to their customers' waste streams.  They already operate collection routes and have the necessary vehicles and personnel to haul this material. Integrating organic waste processing into their current operations is a marginal logistical cost compared to starting a new collection system with a dedicated waste hauler.

2. Existing Customer Base for Redistribution

Unlike traditional waste companies that see organic material as a disposal problem, landscapers can see it as a valuable input. They are uniquely positioned to adopt a circular economy approach to their business practices. The finished products—compost and mulch—are materials they can easily sell back as a value-added product within their landscaping service offerings. Selling high-quality compost, soil blends, and mulch to homeowners and other businesses creates an additional, profitable revenue stream, diversifying their business beyond simple maintenance.

3. Operational Efficiency with a Green Twist

By processing their own waste and reusing the resulting products, landscapers are able to save money on tipping fees and material procurement costs of buying mulch and fertilizers.   This creates a closed-loop system by generating the waste, processing it, and then applying it back to their clients' properties, reducing their need to buy external soil amendments and fertilizers. Managing organic waste allows them to market themselves as sustainable, "green" service providers, which is a significant competitive advantage with environmentally conscious clients.  

What's Holding Landscapers Back?

There's an equipment gap! When it comes to equipment to process the organic waste, landscapers' options are limited because of the size and scope of the equipment being offered on the market.  Conventional grinders are far too large and complicated to pay for and maintain, and just don't fit their operational structure or needs.  Landscapers need something compact, productive, and versatile to fit with their existing equipment and infrastructure. 

Fortunately, the Sundance Grinder was designed and created to bridge that equipment gap! This distinctive hammer mill grinder is rapidly emerging as the perfect answer for landscapers looking to incorporate organic waste management services into their business. This versatile piece of equipment can convert a landscaper's current waste stream into valuable, reusable products. Its compact size, ease of maintenance, and adaptability enable it to integrate smoothly with their existing operations.

Why the Sundance Grinder Stands Out?

• Equipment & Operational Fit

The design and function of the Sundance Grinder align perfectly with a landscaping operation's existing resources and business goals.  They are designed to be loaded easily with equipment such as a skid steer or tractor, minimizing the need for new, specialized loaders.  The grinder is also mobile and compact, allowing it to be transported to a centralized yard or even to large job sites for on-site processing, which further cuts operational costs. Running the grinder is a simple one-man operation and can easily fit into existing equipment maintenance schedules, further reducing costs.

•  Versatility and Material Handling

Landscapers deal with diverse waste, and the Sundance Grinder's versatility is a major advantage when managing challenging feedstock.  It can process materials that would jam a traditional chipper or grinder, such as wet leaves, stringy grass, and food waste. This means a single machine can handle nearly all the organic material collected from a job site. The Sundance Grinder enables landscapers to produce both mulch and compost efficiently, thereby reducing costs and creating value-added products for their customers. 

• Accelerate and Control the Composting Process

  
  

The most critical step in creating quality compost is the initial material preparation. The Sundance Grinder reduces large, bulky, and stringy organic debris into uniform, small particles.  This particle reduction drastically increases the surface area of the material, exposing more material to microbial activity, which in turn accelerates the decomposition process. When coupled with innovative composting methods such as static aeration, the time required to produce finished compost is reduced from several months to weeks, making the entire service more viable and scalable.

The Sundance Circle of Sustainability

By transforming the waste landscapers are paid to remove into a product they can be paid to apply, the Sundance grinder turns significant disposal costs into a profit center, converting a waste problem into a value-added service. Integrate your customers' organic waste streams to deliver value-added services that enhance the vitality and beauty of the properties being maintained. Create a healthy alternative to traditional fertilizers that contaminate our environment and water systems by using compost to topdress lawns and gardens.

In the future, the quality of our soils will undoubtedly be acknowledged as a key factor in mitigating numerous health complications that have emerged over recent decades. This responsibility for

awareness and enhancement extend beyond the farms where we cultivate our food to the lawns where our children play.