Backyard Composting
Backyard Composting Bin Giveaway
Backyard composting is a rewarding way to significantly reduce your household waste, and the Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) is offering free compost bins to help Chicago residents get started!
To kick-off this effort, DSS is offering up to 20 backyard compost bins to each of the City's 50 Wards, which will be available to residents upon request via an online form.
Upon completion and submittal of the form, eligibility will be confirmed (see below for more info on eligibility), and a free compost bin will be delivered to your door by City staff.
*Please note more compost bins may be available at a later date if the number of requests exceeds 20 per ward.
Free compost bins are available to eligible Chicago residents while supplies last. To kick off the program, 20 compost bins will be distributed to each of the City’s 50 wards. If your request exceeds the number of bins available per ward, your name will be added to a waiting list, and you will be notified by email if more bins become available.
To request a free compost bin with delivery to your residence, use the online form below to confirm your eligibility and submit your request.
TO BE ELIGIBLE:
- You must live in the City of Chicago.
- You must live in a single-family home or in a building with 4 dwelling units or less (those served by DSS for trash and recycling).
NOTE:
- The compost bin must stay with the property if you move.
- Limit one compost bin per property.
REQUEST A COMPOST BIN
Composting is the process of turning organic materials (such as fruit/vegetable scraps, fall leaves, and grass clippings) into compost through natural decomposition.
Microbes, in the presence of air and water, feed on the organic matter, causing it to decompose. The result is a dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling compost that you can use to nourish the soil in your garden.
- Reduces waste by keeping your food scraps and yard waste out of landfills
- Protects the climate by preventing the greenhouse gas emissions that are generated when food scraps and yard waste decompose in a landfill
- Turns your food scraps and yard waste into compost, a valuable soil amendment that you can use to improve soil and plant health
- Allows you to connect with nature
Composting is most successful with a mixture of “browns” and “greens” in a 2:1 ratio. Browns include dry, carbon-rich materials. Greens include damp, nitrogen-rich materials.
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Materials that can be composted in a backyard bin: GREENS Fruit & vegetable scraps (no stickers) Coffee grounds (paper filters only) Tea leaves (no plastic or staples) Garden trimmings (6” or smaller) Eggshells
BROWNS Fall leaves Plant stalks Wood chips & shavings (not chemically treated) |
Materials recommended to keep out of a backyard compost bin: X Meat, fish, bones, eggs X Cooked food X Fats, oils, grease X Dairy products X Pet waste & litter X Produce stickers X Diseased plants X Weeds with seeds X Herbicide-treated plants X “Compostable” tableware & plastic X Dryer lint X Charcoal ashes X Glossy paper X Treated or painted wood |
Do not add animal products or cooked food to a backyard compost bin.
These materials can attract rodents, and the microbes in a small-scale backyard bin may not generate high enough temperatures to kill potential pathogens they may introduce.
Chicago residents can, however, compost ALL food scraps (including meat, bones, dairy, and cooked foods) by participating in Chicago’s Food Scrap Drop-Off Program. The food waste collected is processed at a commercial-scale composting facility which uses large windrows that reach temperatures high enough to kill potential pathogens and more quickly break down materials.
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) offers the following resources to learn more about the basics of successful backyard composting:
- Home Composting 101 Guide (English/ Spanish)
- Getting Started & 9 Tips to Avoid Rodents (English/ Spanish)
Find additional ILSR resources, including webinars in English and Spanish, at:
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a national nonprofit organization working to strengthen local economies and redirect waste in local recycling, composting, and reuse industries. The ILSR resources above are provided here with permission.
The compost bin has an 80-gallon capacity and measures 33 inches in diameter and 33 inches high. It has a snap-together assembly with a twist-locking lid, a harvest door, and a perforated base. Ideally, the compost bin should be located in a shady or partly shady spot with about 3 feet of clearance space around it. The compost bin can be placed directly on soil or grass, on pavement, or on gravel.
The compost bin complies with the Municipal Code of Chicago, as it is a fully enclosed container on all sides (including the bottom) with no openings greater than ¼-inch to keep out rodents. Only fruit/vegetable scraps and/or yard waste should be added to a backyard compost bin to further avoid attracting rodents. Please refer to Tips to Avoid Rodents from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance for additional information.