FAQ
Why Compost?
When your food goes to the landfill, it rots. It doesn’t get any oxygen, so then it creates and emits methane— a powerful and toxic greenhouse gas responsible for warming our planet. When food goes down the garbage disposal, it loses its potential to sequester carbon. Plus, then the sewer and water district have to deal with it, and basically turn it into waste. Healthy soil is a key ingredient to healthy communities, and we can’t have healthy soil without - you guessed it - compost! Your food scraps become compost, which goes on to provide nutrients and structure for growing food, flowers, and flora, as well as aiding communities via water retention, pollution mitigation, increasing biodiversity, and beautifying the places we live in and love.
What are your service areas?
Our service area extends North from Broomfield, West from Golden, down to Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree! See the map below for our service areas and our community drop off hubs.
Interested in composting but live outside the radius?
Submit a service area request!
What are your services?
-
Community Drop Off: $5/wk (billed monthly)
-
Use your own bucket for at-home food collection
-
Bring your food waste to your (or any) local community drop off hub (max 5 gallons per week please!)
-
Food waste totes collected and cleaned weekly!
-
Refer-a-neighbor program to get $5 off your next month and their first month!
-
-
Curbside Pick Up: $10/wk (billed monthly)
-
5 gallon bucket for at-home food waste collection
-
Weekly residential pickups
-
Access to our online Swap Shop for eco-friendly products
-
Option to skip a week (receive a $5 credit for any skipped weeks!)
-
Refer-a-neighbor program to get $10 off your next month and their first month!
-
Seasonal waste collection (leaves, pumpkins, Christmas trees)
-
Annual compost soil dividend - get your food waste returned to you as soil!
-
-
-
Weekly Compost Collection of our 224 gallon totes
-
Staff training & onboarding
-
Community Hub Perks Program
-
Submit an inquiry form for a custom-tailored package!
-
How does the pickup program work?
-
Pickup days are specific to your service area (find this info on your compost portal after sign up!)
-
Pickups occur between 7:30am - 6pm on your service day - please have your bucket out by 7:30am to ensure collection!
-
Put your bucket as close to the street as possible (particularly for apartment complexes, bring your bucket to the ground level!)
-
Yes, we service apartments!
Is there a limit to how much I can drop off?
Please limit your drop off amount to one 5-gallon container per week!
Can I drop off my compost at any community drop off location?
Yep! While we prefer you stick to your home drop-off location to ensure we provide the proper amount of bins to each location, all drop-off sites are available to you once you sign up.
How do I keep my bucket clean?
While we will give your bucket a quick wipe down when we collect your compost, there are a few tips and tricks we've found to help keep it clean long term:
-
Use your weekly provided bucket liner with the provided rubber band to secure it in the bucket.
-
Use a smaller countertop bucket, also lined with a compostable bag, as your daily compost bucket. When that fills up, tie off the bag and place it in your larger bucket. Think of your larger bucket as your outside trash can.
-
Don't place hot food into the bucket, it can break down the compostable liner.
-
Placing some newspaper or junk mail at the bottom of the bucket helps collect any juices during the warmer months.
What CAN vs CANNOT be composted?
Food Waste: Veggies, fruits, breads, meats, bones, egg shells, table scraps, dairy, coffee, etc
BPI Paper Products: Bags, napkins/paper towels, coffee filters and tea bags, tissues (no lotion infused)
Plants: Flowers, leaves, houseplants, dirt, weeds
Compostable-Ware: Cups/cutlery/take-out food containers labeled “Compostable”
Other: Waxed paper/cardboard, used pizza boxes (just set those out with your bucket)
See our Compost Guide page for a downloadable PDF guide!
No, you cannot compost pet OR human waste! Please no poop.
Can I skip a week?
Yep, and even better, you can receive a $5 credit if you skip that week in your customer portal! Just go to the Service and Support dropdown → Service Calendar and select the weeks you will not need service.
How about yard waste, pumpkins, or Christmas trees?
Each yard waste season, we offer multiple drop-off options throughout our Service Area for $5 per bag.
Planet Protectors (pickup members): we offer pickup services for $10 per bag. You can order both the yard waste bags and the pickup service through your customer portal in our Simple Swap Shop.
Soil Stewards (drop-off members): wanting pickup (and in our Service Area), just shoot us an email at help@compost-colorado.com and we can work you into one of our routes!
How do I update my billing info?
To update your billing information, just login to your customer portal, go to the Account & Billing dropdown, select Payment Method, and update your information.
If you’re still having trouble, send us an email at help@compost-colorado.com
What is CoCo's Cancellation Policy?
Cancellation Terms:
Customers of Compost Colorado may cancel their membership at any time before their upcoming billing cycle to avoid further charges. However, please note that membership fees will not be prorated for the remainder of the billing period upon cancellation.
Cancellation Notice:
To cancel without incurring additional charges, customers must provide notice at least 1 week prior to their next billing cycle. No next-day cancellations will be accepted.*Bucket Collection:*
Upon cancellation, Compost Colorado will arrange to collect the customer’s compost bucket on the last route day following the cancellation notice.
Bucket Retention Fee:
Customers who choose to keep their buckets upon cancellation will be subject to a $10 bucket retention fee. This fee will be billed separately and must be settled promptly.
Cancellation Process:
1. Customers must submit their cancellation requests before their upcoming billing cycle.
2. Cancellation requests must be made at least 1 week in advance to avoid additional charges.
3. No next-day cancellations will be accepted.
4. Compost Colorado will collect the customer’s compost bucket on the last route day following the cancellation.
5. Customers opting to retain their buckets will incur a $10 bucket retention fee.
Note:
It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that their compost bucket is ready for collection on the specified route day. Failure to return the bucket may result in the application of the $10 bucket retention fee. Compost Colorado reserves the right to modify the cancellation policy with notice to customers. Additionally, membership fees will not be prorated for the remainder of the billing period upon cancellation.
This all sounds great! How do I sign up?
Check out our Services page to find what best suits your needs!
Happy composting!