FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
The average American person throws away 30 pounds of garbage a week. Of that, at least 20% is organic waste that could be composted. What’s more, when the organic materials find their way into a landfill and attempt to break down naturally, they cannot.
Instead they release methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas approximately 20 times more powerful that carbon dioxide.
By composting and re-directing, that organic material is breaking down naturally and can be applied back onto land, helping enhance soil quality, prevent erosion and increase water retention.
Our Compost Nation is Growing!!! Now servicing the Mid-Atlantic & Southeast Regions (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, VA, NC)
Compost Nation has partnered with several Pennsylvania Permitted Food Waste Composting Facilities. All the collected compostable materials will be taken to these approved locations where they monitor, turn and continuously test the materials as they undergo the natural process of becoming compost
Currently, we offer weekly pickup service options for our Commercial Customers & bi-weekly service options for our Residential Customers
Service Questions
A Compost Nation container will be delivered to the address you provided within a few business days, and you will be given a collection day. Pick-ups are currently scheduled bi-weekly.
Place your Compost Nation container out by the curb by 10pm the night before your collection, our drivers will service your container before 5pm on the day of your collection. We leave you a clean Compost Nation container and the cycle repeats!
If you have a special week, like you hosted a major party or holiday, let us know in advance and we will do our best to accommodate. We can provide a special pick-up for an additional fee, or drop you an extra container that we will take back at your next pick-up.
If you are consistently composting more every week, good for you! We offer additional containers as needed (up to a max of 5 per household).
If you missed your collection, contact us via phone, email or the customer portal. If our driver is no longer on the road and you still need service, we have a couple options available to accommodate, which we have outlined below.
- We can drop you an additional container for a $10 fee. Container will be removed at next scheduled collection.
- If you need materials removed, we can collect materials on the upcoming Friday for a $10 fee. Please submit requests by Thursday at 4pm.
OR
- We can collect materials within 24hrs of request for a $20 fee during normal business hours M-F
Please reach out to us as soon as possible after your missed collection and let us know which solution works best for you.
What Can I Compost?
You Can Compost:
FOOD
Coffee Grounds/Filters
Cooked/Fried Food
Dairy
Egg Shells
Freezer-burned Foods
Fruits & Vegetables: peels/pits/seeds Grains: Pasta/bread/rice Seeds/Nuts/Nut shells
Processed Food
Powdered Milk
Pizza
Rotten/Moldy Food
ORGANIC MATERIALS
Compost ONLY IF it fits in your bin
BPI-Certified Compostable Ware
Hair Clippings- Human or Animal
Nail Clippings
Pencil Shavings
Toothpicks
Wool/Dryer Lint
Fireplace Ashes
Garden/Yard Trimmings
Houseplant Trimmings
Sawdust
Feathers
We do not accept:
FOOD
Meat/Poultry
Seafood
Shellfish
Gum
OTHER
Inorganic Materials
Plastic, Acrylic, Polyester, Rubber
Rubber Bands
Twist Ties
Animal or Human Waste Chemicals/Toxics
Cigarette Butts
Coal – Treated
Diapers
Diseased Plants
Herbicides/Pesticides
Kitty Litter
Medicine/Medical Waste
Treated Woods
Used Tissues (due to COVID)
E-waste
These Items May Be Compostable:
FOOD
Tea
If loose → compost
Natural bag w/ NO staple → compost
Natural bag w/ staple → remove staple & compost
Unnatural bag → trash
RECYCLABLES
Cardboard/Paper/Paper Products
If waxy → recycle or trash
If non waxy and greasy/covered in food → compost
If Clean → recycle
Corks
If natural → compost
If synthetic/wax coated→ trash
*We are not collecting up large amounts of yard waste, but will take seasonal items (pumpkins, cornstalks, pine boughs) as needed.
General rule of thumb
- If it’s labeled compostable & made from cardboard or starch-like material, it’s good to go
- If looks like plastic but labeled BPI Certified Compostable – we accept it
- Any type of plastic looking cutlery, BPI certified compostable or not – we CANNOT accept – these materials are not breaking down quickly enough at our site
Local Establishments:
Whole Foods: All items are SSI certified and are good to compost
HipCityVeg: All items are BPI Certified, and are good to compost
Coco Thai Bistro: All items are certified compostable and are good to compost. *The wooden cutlery they use is accepted in our piles
MOM’s Organic Market: Certified cardboard & plastic-looking material are good to compost! Cutlery unfortunately is not.
Sweetgreen: Bowls are certified compostable and are good to compost. Cutlery unfortunately is not.
PokeOno: Bowls are certified compostable and good to compost. Cutlery unfortunately is not.
Honeygrow: If the item is labeled compostable on the bottom of the container, it is acceptable. If you do not see the compostable label, it is not compostable. Cutlery unfortunately is not.
Blue Pearl Cafe: Both cardboard & plastic labelled Greenware are BPI certified compostable and good to compost. Cutlery unfortunately is not.
Do you have a favorite place that is not listed? Let us know at [email protected].
We are so glad to see how many local businesses this community supports!