What is composting? Composting is the healthy decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms that transforms raw materials – such as food scraps, lawn waste, garden trimmings, and some paper products – into a valuable, nutrient-rich soil additive. Composting is an important step in the effort to divert waste from our landfills and reduce our greenhouse gas output.

Why should I compost?  When organics enter our landfills, they are compressed and denied exposure to oxygen. This causes rotting, which in turn generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. By composting wasted food and other organics, methane emissions are significantly reduced. It’s also estimated that each household can decrease their landfill waste by at least 50% just by composting! And not only that, Northfield’s Waste Management compost program participants have priority access to free compost for their gardens twice a year.

What can I put in my compost? Lots of stuff! Toss in lawn and garden trimmings; food scraps, including fruits, veggies, pits and seeds, meat and bones, dairy, breads and pastas; soiled napkins, paper towels, and paper food storage packaging; and any other organic materials.

How do I compost? Waste Management offers a voluntary subscription-based curbside composting program to all Northfield homes. Compost pickup runs every Monday during the yard waste season from the first week of April to the first week of December. Collected materials are combined with yard waste and are taken to the same facility for disposal; however, unlike yard waste, compostable material must be put into a Waste Management cart due to Health Department regulations and animal concerns.

It's easy to sign up for Waste Management’s composting service by calling 800-796-9696 or going online! After you receive your designated curbside compost container, simply begin collecting your food scraps in a paper bag. You can deposit them in your container along with any food-soiled paper products you use, like paper towels, napkins, and food containers. And, yes, pizza boxes!

To learn more about Waste Management’s curbside composting service, how to sign up, and pricing, click here

To learn more about how to set up home composting systems, click here and here