Composting in Medford

Composting is a process of recycling organic matter, like leaves and food scraps. Composting involves putting food and some paper products in a separate container so they can be naturally broken down to create rich dirt, frequently used by gardeners. This transformation happens through a process called biodegradation, where bacteria and fungi convert organic matter.

There are many benefits to composting. Here are just a few:

Reduces the waste stream. Food and garden waste consist of 28% of what we throw away. Food waste is both a burden on the environment and is expensive to process. Composting can divert some of this waste from landfills and be repurposed for other uses (gardening, farming, etc).

Improves soil health and encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material.

Decreases methane emissions, potent greenhouse gases which trap heat in the atmosphere, from landfills.

For residents that have opted in to the city program, the following items CAN be put in your curbside composting bin. If it grows, it goes!

• All food items! Cooked, raw, spoiled, frozen, etc.
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Non synthetic tea bags (remove staples)
• Eggs and eggshells
• Grains, pasta, and bread
• Fruits and vegetables (remove stickers)
• Pits, peels, seeds and rinds
• Cookies, cake, and candy
• Yogurt, ice cream, cheese, and butter
• Meat and Seafood (including raw)
• Bones and shells
• Food soiled napkins and paper towels
• Houseplants and flowers
• Pet food
• Nuts and coconut shells
• Hair, pet fur, and feathers
• Brown paper bags (for lining bins)

Please note that many of these items are not appropriate for backyard composting. If you choose to compost at home, check out the EPA’s complete list of what is suitable for composting here.

The following items ARE NOT accepted in your curbside composting bin. Contaminated bins will not be collected.

• Plastic: Cups, containers, food and candy wrappers, plastic wrap, etc.
• Plastic Bags: shopping bags, garbage bags, produce bags, chip bags, etc.
• Cartons: milk, juice, ice cream, broth, and soup containers
• Take out containers and cups (unless certified compostable)
• Grass Clippings (use our leaf and yard waste pickup service instead)
• Christmas trees and wreaths (use our Christmas tree collection instead)
• Used compostable diapers
• Laundry lint or dryer sheets
• Mail, shiny paper, and magazines
• Plastic and waxed cardboard
• Shredded paper
• Textiles
• Chemically soiled materials
• Dog or cat waste
• Rubber bands, twist ties, and staples
• Produce stickers
• Meal box insulation
• Packing peanuts
• Pizza boxes

Residents are responsible for maintaining their own bins. At a minimum, we recommend rinsing weekly after collection. Liners are required to help ensure your bin can be fully emptied each week.

Your 12-gallon curbside bin has a latching lid that seals in odors, and the use of compostable liners help keep the bin clean week to week. The liners also help ensure our drivers are able to fully empty your bin on collection day, and make it easier to keep your bin clean.

Additionally, even if your bin is not full, we recommend placing it out for service each week to reduce how long you are keeping food scraps for. With particularly smelly food items (like meat scraps, seafood shells, or expired dairy), it can be helpful to store those in a small container in the fridge or freezer until your service day.

Sorting food waste into more-secure, state-approved, latching bins is a key feature of Medford’s Rodent Control Plan to control rodent populations by removing easy access to food scraps in the trash.

Keeping the bin closed and secured with the latch will help prevent attracting flies or bugs, and if the bin is kept outside, can prevent rodents and other critters from accessing your food scraps. Like preventing odors, unwanted pests should not be an issue if your bin is properly maintained. If your bin is damaged, please contact us for a replacement.

Using the fridge/freezer method (mentioned in the answer above) with meat, dairy, or seafood scraps can be an extra precaution for avoiding attracting pests to your bin.

There is no need to switch to Garbage to Garden if you are already happily signed up with a different curbside composting service! We want residents to compost using the best way that works for them. However, the municipal composting program is provided at no cost to residents. To be eligible, residents must live at an address with four units or fewer.