FAQ
Why compost?
There are many reasons to divert food scraps away from landfills / incinerators and back into the soil. Saving the planet is just one of them. Avoiding rats and heavy trash bags with drippy leaks of rotting food is another! If you don't have room or time for a home compost bin, you can still cut down on waste by signing up for our curbside pickup services.
Why compost with the Compost Co-op?
By hiring us to pick up your food scraps, you are participating in a local food systems movement that includes local composters, organic farmers, restaurants, cooperative businesses, and consumers. We are working together to ensure that everyone has access to healthy food, democratic control of workplaces, and a living wage!
How does it work?
We offer weekly and every-other-week pickups. Customers prepay one month in advance. We provide 5-gallon buckets for our customers. You put your bucket filled with scraps out on the curb, where your municipal garbage and recycling is picked up. You can also sign up for a year and receive one month of service free. For more information please read our Terms of Service.
What can I compost?
All food, including fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, bones, eggshells, and cheese. Also, coffee filters, tea bags, napkins, and paper towels and pizza boxes! To cut down on smell, we advise wrapping meat scraps and bones in newspaper (printed with soy-based inks) before putting them in your 5-gallon bucket. Compostable plates, cups, flatware and BPI-approved bags are also acceptable. See a fuller list here.
Does Compost Co-op produce Earthworm Castings?!
Yes we do! With support from Capital Impact Partners and its Co-op Innovation Award, in 2024 we launched sales of this closed-loop natural soil amendment, produced by red wiggler worms from feedstocks we collect. Folks are raving! Learn more about the miracles of worm castings here. Free delivery for active residential customers.