Compost Food Waste

Summary: Backyard composting or curbside compost pickup service

Description

There are many benefits to composting food waste:

• Reduces waste requiring disposal - Food waste accounts for 22% of solid waste in MA.  
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions (compared to landfilling or incineration)
• Sequesters carbon in the soil (as humus)
• Recycles nutrients and organic matter for plants
• Saves money in avoided disposal costs and reduced purchases of soil amendments

In Melrose you have options to compost food waste:

• At home
• With a paid service

Learn how and why to compost food waste at home in this VIDEO by Melrose resident, Kate Sikkema, Melrose resident, Eagle Scout Candidate, Troop 635. 

Deep Dive

For backyard composting, a common question is whether rodents or pests can gain access to the compost bin. To avoid rodent issues, follow these guidelines:

• Be sure to choose a covered rodent-proof bin, such as the Earth Machine bin offered through City of Melrose.
• Do not use an open/uncovered compost pile or bin. 
• Do not compost meat, oils, or other fatty foods in your outdoor bin. 
• Regularly turn the compost in the bin to expedite the breakdown of food.
• Keep a good mix of "greens" and "browns" in the compost bin. 

Many Melrose residents compost at home without any issues with pests or rodents. 

Steps to Take

You have two main options for composting food waste.

1. Compost at home.

If you have a backyard, no matter how small, and access to some “browns” (leaves), you can have a backyard compost bin. By composting in your own yard, you avoid unnecessary transportation of materials back and forth and you can use the nutrients for your lawn, perennials or veg garden. This presentation from MassDEP shows how to compost at home.  Here are some additional instructions on the basics of composting from EPA and the Rodale Institute. 

Backyard compost bins come in different types and price points. 

• The City of Melrose offers the Earth Machine compost bin for $25 for Melrose residents, thanks to a grant from MassDEP.   Learn more and find the order form here.  The City may have bins in stock, or you may need to order one in advance. 
• Tumbler-style bins are built to make it easy to turn the compost pile, and can produce compost more quickly than traditional bins.  Here's a list of tumbler-style bins. 

While many Melrosians compost at home with great success, it does have an important limitation: Waste like meats, cheese, oil or other fats should not be placed in a backyard. These materials require commercial composting, and can attract pests if not properly managed.

2. Use a private service for curbside compost pickup

Curbside compost services pick up your food waste on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, for a fee. In Melrose you can choose from several compost vendors, including Black Earth Compost or Bootstrap Compost.  These curbside pickup accept a wide range of food waste (including meat, cheese, oils), as well as various compostable paper.  Here's the full list of what you can put in the bin with BlackEarth.

In the spring, most curbside compost vendors give you a voucher for a bag of finished compost, redeemable at participating Garden Centers.

Black Earth Compost has the largest customer-base in Melrose (more than 300 households), which enables them to offer competitive pricing. As of April 2022, BlackEarth charges $12.99/month for a weekly pickup service. (Melrose Climate Action does not receive money from Black Earth Compost. A customer already? Use another vendor? Let us know how they're doing by leaving a Testimonial on this site.)