Composting at Home

Did you know that up to 40% of food is wasted in the United States?

Composting is an easy way to prevent wasted food from going to landfill using natural decomposition.

This process returns valuable nutrients back to the soil to help new plants grow. When food and yard waste is sent to landfill, it creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Instead of landfilling, improve middle Tennessee's environment and local soils by composting.

Backyard Composting

Brush, leaves, grass clippings, and a lot of your food scraps at home can be composted in your backyard. All you need is a bin or a place for a compost pile, something to mix your compost like a shovel or rake, and a small bin to collect your kitchen food scraps.
Learn how to start composting in your backyard:

• Sign up for a Dirt on Composting Workshop including a chance to win a free Earth Machine compost bin.
• Read our Dirt on Composting booklet.
• Check out the EPA’s guide to Composting at Home.
• Buy an Earth Machine compost bin from Metro Waste Services.

Drop Off Composting

The Nashville Department of Waste Services offers free drop off composting of food scraps, soiled paper products, and BPI labeled compostable products at each of our Convenience Centers for Metro Nashville and Davidson County residents. Look up our full list of accepted materials for drop off composting.

Composting with Worms

If you live in an apartment or other small space, have very limited outdoor space, or want to compost at work, worm composting is a great option. Composting with worms is a simple natural way to create your own fertilizer using food waste and it can be done indoors.

Learn how to start composting with worms: