With leaves still falling from the trees, you may be wondering if there’s anything useful you can use them from. Karen Ackley with the Marion County Extension Office says that the high carbon levels in leaves means they make excellent compost when layered with other plant material. She recommends a ratio of two parts plant material to one part dead leaves. She also says you can take them to the South Central Iowa Solid Waste Agency landfill, which will compost them there and sell the compost at a later date. Ackley says not to burn the leaves, as the chemicals that are burned off are not healthy to breathe.