composting

COMPOST YOUR FOOD SCRAPS

 

Compost ShedThe best way to reduce food waste is to practice thoughtful and creative strategies to consume all of the food that you purchase. If at the end of the day, you’ve got remaining food scraps like banana peels or coffee grounds or food that you just couldn’t get to before spoiling—you can recycle your food scraps to create compost!

Composting is the controlled management of the decomposition of organic material so that it becomes a nutrient-rich soil amendment that helps plants thrive.

Benefits of Composting:

  • Reduces organic waste that goes to a landfill, reducing greenhouse gases.
  • Finished compost helps improve the health of the soil and serves as a natural fertilizer.
  • Compost helps retain moisture for growing garden and landscaping plants

 

Jersey City’s Residential Composting Programs

Jersey City launched its first-ever composting efforts in 2018 with a Residential Compost Drop-Off Program and a Backyard Composting Program. Check out how many pounds of food scraps have been collected so far. Find out more about each program below.

Read our FAQ’s
Look at our slideshow presentation

DROP-OFF COMPOSTING PROGRAM

Jersey City residents have the option to drop offresidential composting their food waste daily (except as noted below) at multiple locations within the City.

Find a map of all drop-off locations.



Composting Drop-off Locations, as of June 3, 2021:

  • Brunswick Community Garden – 174-176 Brunswick St.
  • Canco Park – 70 Dey St.
  • City Hall – 280 Grove St., back lot
  • Dept. of Public Works – 13-15 Linden Ave. East
  • Five Corners Library – 678 Newark Ave.
  • Hamilton Park – Corner of 8th and McWilliam Place
  • LCCS – Kensington entrance by JFK Blvd.
  • Riverview Community Garden/Farmer’s Market – 285 Ogden Ave.
  • Newport/Avalon Cove – 2nd Street off of Washington Blvd
  • Municipal Court – 365 Summit Ave.
  • Lafayette/Ercel Webb Park – Corner of Lafayette and Woodward
MOBILE COMPOST PILOT: PICK UP COLLECTION BY BIKE ?
The City of Jersey City and the Division of Recycling’s are offering JC’s first-ever bicycle powered food scraps collection from August 2021 through the end of the year. This pilot will be available for Jersey City residents who have registered for residential pickup.
BACKYARD COMPOSTING PROGRAM
For residents interested in composting in their own backyards, the City offers discounted materials and free workshops. Residents who participate are able to create valuable compost for their gardens and help divert thousands of pounds of organic waste from landfills!

Materials are limited. Sign up for more information.

 

Backyard Composting Basics

To compost in your backyard, you only need a few materials to get started. A compost bin, a container to collect your food scraps in the kitchen, and a tool to circulate the air in the compost pile. Collect food scraps in the freezer or in a countertop container. Mix greens and browns in backyard bin. Aerate with turner or shovel.

WHAT GOES INTO BACKYARD COMPOST BINS:

Greens: (Nitrogen rich materials)green and browns
Fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, egg shells, tea bags, grass clippings

Browns: (Carbon rich materials)
Shredded newspaper, paper napkins, coffee filters, dried brown leaves, cardboard- cut into smaller pieces

 

 

 

WHAT STAYS OUT:
X Food cooked in oil or grease, pet waste, animalcompost tumbler products (cheese, milk, meat, fish, bones), barbecue ashes

X Anything with toxic pesticides or herbicides

X All plastics, including “compostable” plastics

X Coffee cups, metal, waxed cardboard

X Edible food! – You should always make an effort to eat food before sending it to the compost. Need ideas for innovative recipes and storage tips to help you consume all the food in your fridge? Check out savethefood.com for helpful tips and pointers

Reduce pests with enclosed tumblers or bins, or line bin with wire mesh. Mix together regularly to circulate air. Store browns to add to new piles with multiple bins.
DO’S AND DON’TS OF BACKYARD COMPOSTING
  • DO chop materials into smaller pieces tocompost recipe speed up decomposition
  • DO make sure you layer browns and greens, so that the materials don’t smell while decomposing
  • DO keep ratio at approximately 3 parts browns to 2 parts greens
  • DO always maintain with a top layer of browns
  • DO turn and circulate air in your compost materials with a compost aerator or shovel
  • DON’T put in weeds that have gone to seed.
  • DO keep your compost materials moist, but not very wet
  • DO add already finished compost or a compost accelerator to accelerate decomposition
  • DO try to consume edible food like leftovers, food close to spoiling and edible parts like broccoli stems before composting
  • DO learn about date labels before composting foods based on their use by or best by dates

 

Additional Types of Composting