Denver expands composting program

The Denver Department of Public Works has announced all neighborhoods citywide can now participate in the compost collection service. Denver Public Works has expanded its program this year to help increase Denver’s current recycling and composting rate of 20 percent to 34 percent by 2020.

Residents who sign up for the Denver Composts program will receive a large green compost cart and a two-gallon kitchen pail to collect organic material like food, nonrecyclable paper and yard debris for composting. Denver Public Works has found that 19 percent of what most residents throw away is food waste and 17 percent is yard debris.

Composting organic material helps reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfill and prevents greenhouse gas emissions, Denver Public Works says. In addition, composting also helps produce a valuable product that increases overall soil quality.

Denver residents can call 311 to sign up for service for the new routes or go to denvergov.org/compost. Denver Public Works will deliver the compost carts at the end of the month and start collection in December.  

The Denver Composts program is a fee-based service. Residents have two options for payment: a quarterly payment plan of $29.25 every three months or a one-time payment of $107 for the entire year. There is a discount for paying annually.

There are about 176,000 eligible homes in Denver with 12,000 currently participating in the Denver Composts program.