Believe it or not, all the newer homes here now have lawns which are a huge pain in the arse to maintain/water...we have gravel; but the thing on yard clippings is we have a separate can for when we prune the citrus, bouganvillea, cactus, etc.
Speaking of which, I do believe it's a law here that anything requiring pruning MUST have thorns and stickers....adding to the great pleasure of yard maintenance.