A Lawn An Order reference page

Maine yard care and leaf cleanup statistics.

Clear, citable facts about the weather, leaves, grass, and cleanup work that shape a Maine yard. Every figure below names its source and date.

Last updated: October 13, 2026

The short version

Yard work has a bigger footprint than one Saturday afternoon.

For Central Maine homeowners, yard care follows a familiar pattern: snow and thaw, fast spring growth, summer mowing, falling leaves, then another reset before winter. This page gathers the most useful public facts behind that work in one place for homeowners, writers, and local organizations.

These figures are not a service checklist or a promise about any one property. They are a reference point, with links back to the original public sources so readers can check the context for themselves.

35.4 million tons

of yard trimmings were generated in the United States in 2018.

The EPA’s count includes grass, leaves, and tree or brush trimmings from residential, institutional, and commercial sources.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 material data

22.3 million tons

of U.S. yard trimmings were composted or mulched in 2018.

That equals a 63% composting rate in the EPA’s national estimate, a useful reminder that cleanup choices can keep organic material in use.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 material data

50% grass

is the EPA’s estimated average share of yard trimmings by weight.

The same national estimate assigns about 25% each to brush and leaves. Actual mixes vary by property and season.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 material data

41.79 inches

of rain and melted snow fell in Bangor in 2024.

That total was just 0.07 inches above the 1991–2020 average, according to the National Weather Service’s annual review for northern and eastern Maine.

Source: National Weather Service, 2024 annual climate review

52.6 inches

of snow was recorded in Bangor in 2024.

Snow, freeze and thaw cycles are part of the yearly rhythm that shapes cleanup timing and when yards become workable again.

Source: National Weather Service, 2024 annual climate review

10 years

is the age at which Maine DEP says a lawn can have enough nutrients without fertilizer when grass clippings are left on it.

The guidance notes that most Maine soils naturally have enough phosphorus for a lawn, and recommends phosphorus-free fertilizer when fertilizer is used.

Source: Maine Department of Environmental Protection, current guidance

Method and sources

How to use these figures.

This page uses publicly available government sources. National waste data is useful for understanding the scale of grass, leaves, and brush, but it is not a Maine-only count. Weather figures are from Bangor, a nearby long-running reporting location, and are best read as regional context rather than a prediction for a particular address.

Maine Department of Environmental Protection guidance is included because it speaks directly to lawn care in the state. Source dates are shown in each statistic’s linked source. Lawn An Order reviews this reference about monthly and refreshes it when a key source publishes a newer figure.

Cite this page

Lawn An Order. “Maine Yard Care & Leaf Cleanup Statistics.” Updated October 13, 2026. https://lawnanorderlawncareservices.info/yard-care-statistics

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