Composting is a process that naturally decomposes (breaks down) organic materials, such as yard waste, fruits, vegetables, and paper towels. Once your food scraps and yard trimming are finished decomposing, the material created is called "compost."
Not only does compost help to decrease the amount of food that you throw in your trash; completed compost can be used to improve soil quality and support plant growth without the use of chemical fertilizers.
Want to start your own compost pile? Check out some of these great resources to get you started. There are also plenty of books you can check out for free at a public library and countless free videos online where you can find more help.
Provides basic information on what backyard composting is, why it is important, and provides instructions on how to build and maintain your backyard compost pile.
Ramsey County Video on Composting: This video from Ramsey County shows how to build and maintain your backyard compost pile.
Plenty of private organizations also have information to get you started. Try searching for videos online or checking out books about the topic. Not sure where to find good books? Try searching "compost" in the St Paul Public Library's catalog https://sppl.org/catalog/
If you're not ready to start your own compost pile, but you still want to participate-- you can drop off your food scraps and yard waste to be turned into something new. All sites are free.
Food Scraps (Organics) Drop Off Sites: If you are unable to set up backyard composting at your property, the city has drop off sites for organics (food scrap). Click on the link to view the list of drop off sites.
Citywide Yard Waste Collection: The citywide garbage collection also offers yard waste collection at an additional cost. This is a great option if you are unable to compost these materials at home. Click on the link to learn more about this service.
Coming Soon: Curbside Pickup: Ramsey County has a new program coming that will give you the free option to have food scraps picked up at your curb/alley! Food scraps will just need to be placed separately into a special bag and placed in your garbage cart. Robots will later sort the items and pull those special bags out to be composted.
Last Edited: July 1, 2024