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Why Compost?
Why Compost?
Compost is the way soil regenerates itself. By keeping food scraps out of the landfill, we are healing our soil by infusing it with nutrients, and thereby healing ourselves and our planet. Compost is especially valuable for urban gardens, where it actually helps decontaminate the soil from toxins like lead and mercury, and nourishes our most vulnerable city residents who often live in neighborhoods that are food deserts. Since organics account for as much as 30% of landfill waste, by keeping organics out of the landfill, we help meet our waste diversion goals. Also when we keep food scraps out of the landfill, we prevent the production of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas that contributes greatly to global warming.
Compost is the way soil regenerates itself. By keeping food scraps out of the landfill, we are healing our soil by infusing it with nutrients, and thereby healing ourselves and our planet. Compost is especially valuable for urban gardens, where it actually helps decontaminate the soil from toxins like lead and mercury, and nourishes our most vulnerable city residents who often live in neighborhoods that are food deserts. Since organics account for as much as 30% of landfill waste, by keeping organics out of the landfill, we help meet our waste diversion goals. Also when we keep food scraps out of the landfill, we prevent the production of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas that contributes greatly to global warming.
What Is Compost?
What Is Compost?
Compost is a valuable, natural fertilizer for soil that is produced when you mix food scraps, yard trimmings and other "greens", with "browns" like dead leaves, woodchips and straw. The "greens" add nitrogen and the "browns" add carbon. Mixed together in a bin or pile, they decompose with the help of millions of friendly microscopic organisms (bacteria and fungi). The final rich, brown, crumbly product contains various minerals and micronutrients in a form that's easy for plants to access. Because it's so valuable for soil and plant health, compost is called "black gold."
Compost is a valuable, natural fertilizer for soil that is produced when you mix food scraps, yard trimmings and other "greens", with "browns" like dead leaves, woodchips and straw. The "greens" add nitrogen and the "browns" add carbon. Mixed together in a bin or pile, they decompose with the help of millions of friendly microscopic organisms (bacteria and fungi). The final rich, brown, crumbly product contains various minerals and micronutrients in a form that's easy for plants to access. Because it's so valuable for soil and plant health, compost is called "black gold."
What Goes in Your Compost?
What Goes in Your Compost?
YES: All Fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds and filters, crushed egg shells, avocado pits, wooden sticks, leaves and lawn trimming, unbleached napkins and paper towels. (Remove plastic stickers from fruit.)
YES: All Fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds and filters, crushed egg shells, avocado pits, wooden sticks, leaves and lawn trimming, unbleached napkins and paper towels. (Remove plastic stickers from fruit.)
NO: pet waste/litter, cooking oil, plastics of any kind, compostable cups/plates/utensils, meat, fish, dairy, diseased plants, rubber bands.
NO: pet waste/litter, cooking oil, plastics of any kind, compostable cups/plates/utensils, meat, fish, dairy, diseased plants, rubber bands.
Community Compost Drop-Off Sites
Community Compost Drop-Off Sites
Want to compost, but don’t have room or desire to start a backyard compost pile? Then drop off your compost at this growing network of free drop-off sites in the Capital Region. Keep checking back. This list is growing!
Want to compost, but don’t have room or desire to start a backyard compost pile? Then drop off your compost at this growing network of free drop-off sites in the Capital Region. Keep checking back. This list is growing!
Friends of Tivoli Lake Preserve & Farm, Wilkins Ave. entrance, drop off 24/7 outside the gate using a bucket. NO bags please; just food scraps. See the website for complete rules.
Friends of Tivoli Lake Preserve & Farm, Wilkins Ave. entrance, drop off 24/7 outside the gate using a bucket. NO bags please; just food scraps. See the website for complete rules.
Troy Community Compost drop off Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm outside the 4th street Atrium. See the Transition Troy website.
Troy Community Compost drop off Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm outside the 4th street Atrium. See the Transition Troy website.
Radix Ecological Sustainability Center is at 153 Grand Street; drop off 24/7 outside the gate. Place compost directly into bin or in a compostable bag .
Radix Ecological Sustainability Center is at 153 Grand Street; drop off 24/7 outside the gate. Place compost directly into bin or in a compostable bag .
Albany Victory Gardens is located at 456 First Street in the West Hills neighborhood of Albany, between Clinton Ave. and Quail St.
Albany Victory Gardens is located at 456 First Street in the West Hills neighborhood of Albany, between Clinton Ave. and Quail St.
If you can take your neighbor’s compost, we encourage you to invite them to do so. Also sign on to ShareWaste.com, a free community organic waste recycling app that connects people and inspires them to see their waste as a resource.
If you can take your neighbor’s compost, we encourage you to invite them to do so. Also sign on to ShareWaste.com, a free community organic waste recycling app that connects people and inspires them to see their waste as a resource.
Paid Door-to-Door Compost Pick Up Businesses:
Paid Door-to-Door Compost Pick Up Businesses:
FoodScraps360 is a residential food waste collection service created to help keep plant matter out of the landfill where it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. With the climate crisis knocking on our door, we can help by composting household food waste. Foodscraps360 makes it easy. We collect food scraps right from your doorstep in Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties. The owner, Diana Wright, is expanding to do Zero Waste weddings, to assist schools to learn composting and Zero Waste techniques, and to include pick-ups from small, commercial restaurants. Email Diana at FoodScraps360@gmail.com or call 518 465-9748.
FoodScraps360 is a residential food waste collection service created to help keep plant matter out of the landfill where it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. With the climate crisis knocking on our door, we can help by composting household food waste. Foodscraps360 makes it easy. We collect food scraps right from your doorstep in Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties. The owner, Diana Wright, is expanding to do Zero Waste weddings, to assist schools to learn composting and Zero Waste techniques, and to include pick-ups from small, commercial restaurants. Email Diana at FoodScraps360@gmail.com or call 518 465-9748.
Radix Ecological Sustainability Center - Weekly compost pick up by bicycle trailer - for residences east of Main Street in Albany. Place your food scraps inside the provided filtered, no-odor 2.4 gallon container. Once a week, place the container on your step. We will remove the contents. At the Radix Center, we will turn it into a nutrient-dense garden fertilizer. $15/month for one container. $5 for each additional container. Email: compost@radixcenter.org or call (518) 605-3256.
Radix Ecological Sustainability Center - Weekly compost pick up by bicycle trailer - for residences east of Main Street in Albany. Place your food scraps inside the provided filtered, no-odor 2.4 gallon container. Once a week, place the container on your step. We will remove the contents. At the Radix Center, we will turn it into a nutrient-dense garden fertilizer. $15/month for one container. $5 for each additional container. Email: compost@radixcenter.org or call (518) 605-3256.
Resources for Composting
Resources for Composting
The Institute for Local Self Reliance website is an excellent comprehensive resource for home composting and community composting, from basics to advanced.
The Institute for Local Self Reliance website is an excellent comprehensive resource for home composting and community composting, from basics to advanced.
Video: “Make the Most of Compost” from SciShowKids is an upbeat video for kids teaches how you can turn organic waste into nutrient packed soil you can use in the garden.
Video: “Make the Most of Compost” from SciShowKids is an upbeat video for kids teaches how you can turn organic waste into nutrient packed soil you can use in the garden.
Video: "The Compost Story" from Kiss The Ground is an entertaining 7-minute video that explains why composting food scraps is essential to our survival on earth, accomplishing everything from building nutrients back into soil to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A companion to the video is “The Soil Story.”
Video: "The Compost Story" from Kiss The Ground is an entertaining 7-minute video that explains why composting food scraps is essential to our survival on earth, accomplishing everything from building nutrients back into soil to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A companion to the video is “The Soil Story.”
Vermont has banned food waste by requiring residents to now compost any unfinished food. Read about the new law in Fast Company.
Vermont has banned food waste by requiring residents to now compost any unfinished food. Read about the new law in Fast Company.
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