Pittsburgh’s First Compost Exchange Program!

Our buckets are either 2gal for smaller households, or 3.5gal for larger households.

Our residential composting program is perfect for anyone that doesn’t have the space or time to compost. The program operates like your trash and recycle service, except we collect your food scraps and return the compost back to you throughout the growing season. Our program runs as a subscription, so you can try it out for 3 months, and you will have the option to renew. If you really like the program you can take advantage of our annual subscriptions at the beginning of the year to receive a discount on your service. If you’d like to get started, here’s how it works:

Shadyside Worms will provide you with a food grade composting bucket and lid for your food scraps and other composting items. The size of the bucket can be suited to your household needs- we offer a 3.5 gallon bucket or a 5 gallon bucket.
Use your bucket to throw your food scraps into during the week. We provide compostable items guideline for what you can compost and how to keep your bucket clean.
We pick up your food scraps from your home on a weekly basis. At the time of pick-up, we clean out your bucket and provide you with a new compostable liner.
At the beginning of each year we set the shares for compost returns. We offer a seed starting mix before spring starts, 20lb. compost bags in spring (amount TBD each year), as well as an option for a summer share, or potting soil in the fall. If you don’t have a need for any of these products, your shares will be donated to a local non-profit gardening program or community garden.

Sign up below for the Compost Exchange now and receive TWO 20lb. bags of compost when we deliver your bucket- and that’s not all! Stay on with us as a returning customer and you will receive the full Summer share and Fall as well!

Cost

$25 per month

*Annual subscription discounts are announced before the beginning of each year for. One time sign up fee of $10 for new customers. Additional 3.5 or 5 gallon bucket can be added to service for an additional $10/month.

COMPOST DONATION: Urban agriculture projects in your neighborhood need organic soil and fertilizer. Give them a hand by donating your share! When you get started in the compost exchange program, you can designate a garden or non-profit of your choice, or choose from a list of organizations we work with. The compost exchange is a very convenient service for anyone that is short on time or space for composting, but it’s also a great way to connect with communities in Pittsburgh that are working hard to create green spaces and bring Urban Agriculture to our city. By picking up your food scraps from your home, and delivering the castings back to you, we hope to make it easier for you to have a healthy green thumb in your yard or home, or give back to the community.