Composting

An adult and a child poke through a bin containing compost scraps and worms to process it.
A person crouches next to a pile of sticks and scraps, teaching bird-nest style composting.
Several volunteers stand in a composting education booth at the Ithaca Farmers Market.

The Compost Education Program supports the goals of the Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management to divert compostable materials from the waste stream and thereby maximize waste reduction in Tompkins County. This mission is achieved by training and supporting community volunteers to educate and enthuse the public about the benefits and methods of composting.

Program funded by the Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management

If you don't compost at home but want to keep food waste out of our landfill, Tompkins County Solid Waste now offers drop-off locations in Ithaca, Cayuga Heights, Brooktondale, Danby, Dryden, Lansing and Trumansburg where you can drop your food scraps for composting. Learn about locations, how to prepare your scraps, and what food waste is accepted, HERE.

Now Hiring Back-Up Drop Spot Attendants

The Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management is seeking back-up drop spot attendants for its Food Scraps Recycling Program. This position staffs drop spots on an as-scheduled basis, by filling in at various sites when coverage is required. The attendant provides customer service, offers outreach materials and information regarding the drop spots, and monitors traffic flow and safety. Interested? Contact reducewaste [at] tompkins-co.org (reducewaste[at]tompkins-co[dot]org) for more info.

Composting Pet Manure

The Compost Education Program does not recommend that residents put dog or cat manures into their home compost.

However, the TC Dog and New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation have teamed up to collect and compost dog manure from patrons of the Tompkins County Dog Park, located at the Alan H. Treman State Marine Park in Ithaca. The finished compost is used as a soil amendment when planting trees, shrubs and to fill in topsoil in areas away from high-use public areas.