Backyard Composting 

Compost Bin Location

Harvesting Compost
For more information on how our economy is benefited by you composting organic materials through collection or drop-off programs, visit the MPCA's website.

Starting or Restarting Your Bin

Compost Use

Backyard vs. Commercial Composting

     Full Backyard Compost Video​

Benefits of Composting

  • Increases infiltration and permeability of heavy soils, thus reducing erosion and runoff. 
  • Improves water holding capacity, thus reducing water loss and leaching in sandy soils. 
  • Supplies a variety of macro and micronutrients. 
  • May control or suppress certain soil-borne plant 
  • pathogens. 
  • Supplies significant quantities of organic matter. 
  • Improves cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils and ​growing media, thus improving their ability to hold nutrients for plant use. 
  • Supplies beneficial microorganisms to soils and growing media. 
  • Improves and stabilizes soil pH. 
  • Can bind and degrade specific pollutants

Resources to help get started composting at home: