Starting this summer, Philadelphia residents will finally have a free composting option — after the pilot program was delayed a full year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Department of Parks and Recreation is opening its first 12 community composting sites, where Philadelphians can drop off food scraps and other organic waste at no cost. Also about to launch: Compost pickup at about 30 city rec centers, kicking off in September.
Unlike other major American cities, there is currently no free composting option for Philly residents, per Streets Department spokesperson Joy Huertas. That means there’s no way for Philadelphians to divert their food waste from landfills — unless they’re willing to pay for a subscription to a private company. But that’s about to change.
“Community members will be able to bring compost to these sites,” said David Bloovman, co-owner of Circle Compost, one of the Philly companies contracted for the pilot program. “Those sites can do some processing, keep materials out of landfills, and can also be hopefully a really great education piece, a stepping stone to significantly wider composting across the city.”
If done on a large scale, composting can make a big difference in the fight against climate change. If you throw out your food waste — think apple cores and avocado skins — it’ll go to a landfill and release toxic methane gas. But if you compost it, it breaks down and basically turns into fertilizer.