Yard and Food Waste Collection

Composting your yard and food waste helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil quality, reduce the need for chemicals and fertilizers and save water.

Collection Is Weekly Year-Round

Food scraps & yard trimmings are collected from subscribers every week year-round. Compostable food scraps and food-soiled paper are accepted in your green Food/Yard cart. Please, do not put food scraps or yard waste in your blue recycling cart.

Food Scraps Accepted in Yard + Food Waste Carts:

Collect kitchen food scraps in containers such as:

Paper bags
Approved compostable bags
A reusable container lined with used paper towel, newspaper, or the compostable bag. Empty contents into Food / Yard cart and reuse the container.
Other Kitchen Compost Container Options

Also . . .

Do not put plastic in your cart.
Do not worry about pests/rodents because food waste is already being thrown out. It is encouraged to keep food scraps in a compostable bag that can be tied shut.
Do keep the bin dry when possible, which can be done by water absorbent compostable materials such as napkins, paper towels, and shredded paper to soak up any remaining liquids.
Do check the list of compatible compostable bags that can broken down at our local compost facility.

Extra Yard Trimmings

There is a charge for additional units of yard trimmings (no food scraps) beyond the basic service.

For yard trimmings that don't fit in your yard cart you may use:

Paper yard bags (available at home and garden stores), or

32-gal. cans with handles & lids (65 lb. limit) labeled "Yard" or

Bundles tied with sisal twine (4'x2' limit)

* Yard trimmings are not accepted in plastic bags.

Plastic bags are not compostable and cause processing and odor problems at the composting facility.

Yard Trimmings Prohibited in Garbage

Yard trimmings are prohibited from garbage containers. Yard trimmings create extra landfill expense, but can provide nutritious compost and mulch if composted.

Options for Disposing of Yard Trimmings:

Compost in your yard (most energy efficient choice!)

Put yard trimmings in a yard cart to be collected at the curb
------ (Sign up for food / yard collection.)

Take yard trimmings to a transfer station that accepts "clean green".

Bow Lake Transfer Station

Learn how to save money and protect the environment
by reducing food waste

Did you know that nearly a third of food in the US goes to waste? Reducing food waste is more than just composting your fruit peels, it's an effective way for individuals to fight climate change on a daily basis! Save money and the planet by following these food waste reduction tips.