How to Keep Food Scraps Out of the Landfill if You Don’t Have a Green Bin
You’re collecting your food scraps. Your collection container is full. You’re ready to dump your scraps…but you don’t have a green curbside bin.
You’re not alone. Unfortunately many apartment complexes don’t yet have green bins for tenants. The good news is that landlords are required to provide these by the end of 2023.
In the meantime, you’ve still got options to turn your food scraps into nutrient-rich high-value black gold that will help your community.
Option 1: Request a green bin!
Any LA resident, including renters, can call 311 to request a green bin for the building where they live.
Option 2: Drop-off your food scraps at a local farmer’s market.
Dropping off your scraps at local farmer’s markets ensures that your compost will provide quality soil for local use. Plus, it’s free, thanks to our friends at LA Compost! Here’s a list of LA locations by day:
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Atwater Village (9:00 AM 2:00 PM): 3528 Larga Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Wellington Square (9:00 AM 1:00 PM): 4394 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
Elysian Valley (10:00 AM 2:00 PM): 1816 Blake Avenue Los Angeles, CA, 90039
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Highland Park (3:00 PM 7:00 PM): Avenue 58, Marmion Way, Los Angeles, CA 90042
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Larchmont (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM): 209 North Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90004
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Central Ave (9:00 AM 2:00 PM): 4301 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90011LA
River (3:00 PM 7:30 PM): 1245 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012Item description
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Silver Lake (8:00 AM 1:30 PM): 3700 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Playa Vista (9:00 AM 2:00 PM): 12775 Millennium Dr, Playa Vista, CA 90094
Crenshaw (10:00 AM 3:00 PM): 5730 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90043
Option 3: Drop at a Compost Co-Op.
LA Compost also has composting hubs called Compost Co-Ops at locations like gardens, schools, and parks where you can drop off food scraps for free. Finished compost is used onsite to create healthy soils and grow food. Check out a map of locations below, and sign up here!
Option 4: Sign up for a pickup service
If it’s hard for you to get a drop-off site, consider a service like CompostableLA. They’re not free, but they’ll pick up your compost weekly. Memberships start at $33/month, and gets you access to finished compost as well as exclusive discounts. This is a high value option environmentally, too, since the compost stays in our local community.
Option 5: Compost in your yard
If you’ve got the space, a backyard compost pile is the highest value option because it keeps nutrients local and saves on transportation and processing. There are many different ways to produce finished compost compost at home. Here’s an LA Compost guide to choosing the right system for your space:
