It’s easy, free and great for your garden
Adding compost to your soil improves its tilth, fertility and ability to retain moisture. This increases your yield while also saving water. Composting mimics natural processes by speeding up the decomposition of food organic matter. It’s a great way to reduce household waste and create nutrient-rich soil for your garden.
Through composting, plant matter and food waste break down to release nutrients for new plants by creating a sustainable plant fertilizer. Compost is made up of about one-quarter “green matter” (food scraps, grass clippings, crushed eggshells, etc.), and three-quarters “brown matter” (yard waste, coffee grounds, cardboard, etc.). This ratio provides the right combination of nitrogen and carbon to speed decomposition.
Watch these short how-to videos about composting
1. The all-important Compost Ratio
2. Maintaining your Compost: Rats and Aeration
3. Applying your Compost
SCLT staff put all these steps together (and added a few fake body parts) in this fun video: Zompost
Resources for composting in Providence
Bootstrap Compost
Contact: Igor
617-642-1979
Bootstrap came down to Providence in 2018 from Boston, where it’s been operating a residential and commercial food scrap pickup service for several years. Bootstrap partners with City Farm and the Compost Plant, staying true to one of its founding values: “To give back to the community what we take from the community.” Read about its expansion to Providence here.
The Compost Depot at Frey Gardens
Contact: Michael Bradlee
401-952-5533
The Compost Depot, run by Earth Appliance Organics, has a free 24/7/365 drop-off for members of the food scrap collection program. The Depot accepts ALL kinds of food scraps! It’s free to join and free to drop. Earth Appliance Organics also sells Premium Vermicompost. We will be at the Armory Park Farmers Market, and will add a pickup service starting this summer.
The Compost Plant
Contact: Leo Pollock
844-741-GOLD
The Compost Plant makes bulk deliveries for gardeners and farmers, and sells bagged Rhody Gold all natural compost and soil mixes. The Compost Plant collects food waste from a variety of businesses, including higher education institutions, restaurants, and hospitals.
Earth Care Farm
Contact: Jayne Merner Senecal
401-364-9930
Earth Care Farm is a family operated, holistic farm specializing in making high-quality compost. They blend the ingredients (including, seaweed, food scraps, animal bedding/manures, yard waste, clean gurry and shellfish), and screen the compost through a ½” screen. They also give farm tours and raise produce.
Harvest Cycle Compost
Contact: Amelia Rose
401-305-7174
Harvest Cycle is now being operated by Groundwork RI, a local nonprofit that provides truck and bicycle-powered residential compost pick-up in the greater Providence area. Their youth and adult employment programs are involved in the food scrap collection, processing, and food growing operations, creating economic opportunity for lower-income residents.
Rhodeside Revival, LLC
Contact: Conor MacManus
Smithfield Peat
Contact: info@smithfieldpeat.com
401-231-1111
Since 1964, Smithfield Peat Co. has been widely recognized as a pioneer and innovator in the Green Movement.
Urban Greens
401-273-0362
Urbans Greens is now taking food scrap drop-offs all day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The service is free for members and “pay-as-you-throw” for non-members (suggested $2/ drop off – pay at the cashier).
Food scraps should not include meat or seafood at this time and not exceed 3 gallons per week, per household. Food scrap bins will be in front of the store (near bike rack) all day Tuesday & Wednesday.