 Yard trimmings that you set out on your curb are turned into nutrient-rich mulch so that it doesn't take up precious space in our landfills. Also, Fort Worth residents can get this mulch for free at the Fort Worth drop-off stations. Did you know mulch makes a great addition to your landscape and gardens because it conserves water, prevents weeds, and improves the soil? Recently, a whole lot of trash and debris is being tossed into the green yard carts in the paper yard bags. Now it's contaminated. All that trash in the yard containers ends up in the compost piles, polluting our mulch. Even worse, it makes the mulching process expensive and unsustainable. A glass bottle here or a hose there makes it all unusable. Let's take a look at what we've found in our yard trimming collections lately that should never be included in yard bags, piles, or carts. See if you can spot the offenders before we point them out. Garden hoses. Glass bottles. Plastic bags of any kind, including trash bags, fertilizer bags, and mulch bags. Shoes. Clothing. Plastic plant pots and trays. And plastic drink containers. The bottom line is, when doing yard work, please keep trash and debris in its place, which is not in yard bags or yard carts. Also, remind your lawn service providers to do the same. Remember, all yard trimmings must be placed in brown paper yard bags or yard cart. Leaves and grass and plastic bags will not be collected. To learn more about how to handle yard waste, contact the call center at 817-392-1234 or email questions to 1234 at Fort Worth Texas dot gov.