Optional Compost Program for Multi-Family Dwellings
Don't send your food scraps and landscape material to the landfill; compost them instead! We encourage you to look into starting a composting program. Individual residents of multi-family dwellings are not able to sign up for composting service on their own, so talk to your property manager or HOA and see if they would like to utilize this service for an additional fee. On average, these services are offered at a reduced rate compared to garbage service. Your complex may be able to reduce its garbage service fees if a successful composting program is in place. Contact us for cart sizes and rates.
We accept all food scraps, soiled paper and yard trimmings in the green cart or bin.
We accept all food scraps, soiled paper and yard trimmings in the green cart or bin.
Kitchen Pails
If your complex does subscribe to the composting program, we'll also provide each tenant with a 2 gallon kitchen pail for in-home use. Kitchen pails are a handy and convenient way to keep your kitchen neat and clean while collecting food scraps and other compostables. When the pail is filled, you simply toss it into the green Compost cart or bin on the property.Need to order a kitchen pail? Contact us.
Certified Compostable Bags
Now accepting certified compostable bags in the CartSMART compost collection program!
Get more information...
Get more information...
You CAN Compost:
Still not sure about composting?
Check out our Composting Tips.
Check out our Composting Tips.
Composting is a highly effective way to help protect the environment, and Recology San Mateo County is proud to offer a home composting collection service to its customers.
More than six million tons of food products are dumped in California every year. Food is the largest single source of waste in California, making up 15.5 percent of the waste stream.
That waste decomposes and creates methane gas, which is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide and is directly attributed to climate change. Composting is nature's way of recycling organic waste into a new soil amendment rich in nutrients that can be used for organic farming, vineyards and highway erosion and control projects.
Source: California Watch
More than six million tons of food products are dumped in California every year. Food is the largest single source of waste in California, making up 15.5 percent of the waste stream.
That waste decomposes and creates methane gas, which is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide and is directly attributed to climate change. Composting is nature's way of recycling organic waste into a new soil amendment rich in nutrients that can be used for organic farming, vineyards and highway erosion and control projects.
Source: California Watch
- Bread, grains and pasta
- Coffee grounds (and filters)
- Dairy
- Eggshells
- Fish and shellfish
- Fruit, including pits
- Meat, including bones
- Poultry
- Vegetables
Soiled Paper Products
- Coffee filters
- Greasy pizza boxes
- Paper cups (including chain store coffee cups) and plates
- Paper ice cream containers
- Paper bags, napkins and towels
- Paper take-out boxes and containers
- Paper tea bags
- Waxed cardboard and paper
- Wine corks
Yard Trimmings
- Branches and brush
- Flowers and floral trimmings
- Grasses and weeds
- Leaves
- Tree trimmings
Please, No:
- Animal waste
- Concrete, asphalt, stones, sod, dirt and bricks
- Cooking oil
- Diapers
- Juice or soy milk boxes with foil liner
- Liquids and ice
- Recyclables (glass, aluminum, paper, plastics 1-7)
- Palm fronds
- Plastic bags
- Plastic corks
- Plywood
- Styrofoam packaging, food containers and packing peanuts
- Treated and painted wood
Printable Materials
- Compost Cart Graphic
Download a PDF version of the graphics on top of your
Compost Cart.
Compost Guides
You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files.
For more general recycling and waste reduction information, please visit RecycleWorks of San Mateo County.
Questions? Please contact us.
Language Assistance:
We offer a free Language Line with over 170 different languages through our Customer Service Department. Please contact us for more information.
Recology San Mateo County provides recycling, compost and garbage collection services to the 12 Member Agencies in the RethinkWaste service area.
Questions? Please contact us.
Language Assistance:
We offer a free Language Line with over 170 different languages through our Customer Service Department. Please contact us for more information.
Recology San Mateo County provides recycling, compost and garbage collection services to the 12 Member Agencies in the RethinkWaste service area.
