Compost

Compost is a nutrient-dense soil amendment, made from decomposed plant matter and food waste, that can be applied to soil to improve its fertility and moisture retention. Compost not only improves soil and plant health, but it also promotes carbon sequestration, which is the process by which carbon dioxide is drawn down from the earth’s atmosphere and stored in the soil and plants that grow from the soil.

Composting organic items like food scraps and yard waste is not only a great way to reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfill, but it’s also easy! Plus, it is now California law that most residences, and businesses generating two cubic yards or more of waste (recycling + organics recycling + disposal), participate in organic waste diversion and/or curbside compost collection. Contact your hauler to set up a composting program or to request assistance, such as sorting trainings and signage.

How to Start Composting

Resources to help you compost at home, in your backyard, and at work.

paper bag with food and kitchen scraps sitting on bed of finished compost

Composting at Home

Subscribe to a green bin through your hauler’s curbside collection program. You can also create your own compost pile at home, try vermicomposting with worms, or practice grasscycling.

compost workshop instructors with their many instructional materials

Compost Workshops

Learn how easy and fun it is to recycle your fruit and vegetable scraps, leaves, and plant cuttings into compost in these free workshops! Our composting workshops teach composting options suitable for those who live in single-family and multi-family homes, apartments, and those with or without a backyard.

Compost Quality

When contaminants such as plastic, glass, and other items end up in the green bin, the result is contaminated compost that has fragments of glass, plastic, and other substances that are harmful to the environment. We’re making compost – let’s make it healthy! Learn more about how you can create healthy compost from your food scraps and yard waste.

four community members looking at a community garden planter bed

Community Gardens

The Sustainability Department partners with local community organizations and businesses to build vibrant community gardens and to promote sustainable composting techniques. The goal of the program is to provide the opportunity for community members to learn about composting from the gardens, and ultimately, be inspired to start composting at home.

The Latest News & Events

Mar
22

Fixit Clinic @ Half Moon Bay Library

Fixit Clinics are fun community-based workshops where neighbors, friends, and families work collectively to learn how to repair broken items. We’ll provide a workspace, specialty tools, and volunteer Fixit Coaches to help you troubleshoot and provide routine maintenance to your household items and appliances! Register at https://bit.ly/itemcheckin.

Interested in being a Fixit Coach?
It’s easy! Provide participants with 1) guidance on tools and 2) encouragement to investigate their broken item. Let them talk about how they used it and how it broke. That often provides valuable hints as to what’s wrong. See how much you can do without actually handling the item. Empower the item’s owner to do the troubleshooting and disassembly. Register to be a Fixit Coach here.

This event is hosted in partnership with the San Mateo County Libraries.

LEARN MORE

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Compost

How to Start Composting