Earthgirl Composting

Curbside Compost Pickup

Events, Households and Non-Food Based Businesses
Chittenden and Washington Counties in Vermont

"For the love of nature, she made compost."
-C. Tall Mountain

Earthgirl Composting Home | Compost Pickup Services | Why Compost? | What can be composted?
Register for Compost Pickup | Service Area | E-mail Megan | Testimonials
VT Businesses that are Making a Difference
Earthgirl in the News: Champlain Business Journal | Strictly Business

Save Intervale Compost Products!

Did you know that only 5% of compostable waste is composted in Vermont and of that 5%, 92% is composted at Intervale Compost Products in Burlington?! If Intervale Compost Products closes, as is the current plan, 18,000 tons of compostable waste will end up in our landfills each year (at this time there is no viable alternative to ICP) in addition to what is currently landfilled.

If you believe that Intervale Compost Products is providing a much needed service to our state,
please take a moment to sign the on-line petition

If you want to...

  • compost, but don't have the time or energy
  • turn your food waste, non-recyclable paper waste, and yard waste into beautiful compost
  • support local businesses and sustainable agriculture while saving landfill space

Call
EARTHGIRL COMPOSTING
802.223.1271
or
e-mail Megan

EARTHGIRL COMPOSTING will provide you with a five gallon bucket. We will pick up your full bucket weekly, biweekly or monthly, leave you an empty clean bucket and deliver your waste to Intervale Compost Products.

YOU DECIDE how often and we will do the rest.

When you compost with EARTHGIRL COMPOSTING you are making a difference.

All waste will be delivered to Intervale Compost Products.

Intervale Compost Products supports our community and sustainable agriculture by turning waste into compost and selling that compost to organic farmers, gardeners, and landscapers. Each sale of Intervale Compost helps fund the work of the Intervale Center, a non-profit developing sustainable farm- and land-based enterprises.

Why compost?*

Each year in the US approximately 33% of household trash is food waste, yard waste, and non-recyclable paper waste, all of which can be composted. This waste is then burned or dumped into landfills. Imagine the space we could save by composting. Imagine turning approximately 33% of your trash into nutrient filled compost that is used by local farmers, gardeners, and landscapers.

Composting with EARTHGIRL COMPOSTING benefits everyone by:

  • Saving landfill space
  • Supporting local businesses
  • Supporting sustainable agriculture

Compost improves soil structure and minimizes the need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides which are destructive to your soil, your health, and the environment. Adding compost to your soil benefits the environment by:

  • Improving soil and plant fertility
  • Reducing soil erosion and runoff
  • Conserving water
  • Reducing the number of chemicals ending up in Lake Champlain and other waterways

*Thank you to the Composting Association of Vermont for providing most of this information.

What can be composted?

Any/all food waste including:
  • Meat & bones, dairy
  • Egg shells & seafood shells
  • Tea bags
  • Coffee grinds & filters
Any soiled paper including:
  • Tissues, napkins, paper towels
  • Cotton balls, cotton swabs (without plastic unless it is labeled as biodegradable)
  • Refrigerator/freezer boxes (no six-pack holders, milk or oj cartons)
  • Pizza boxes
  • Waxed paper, parchment paper
  • Paper plates/cups without a plastic lining (the easiest way to figure this out is by tearing it and looking closely at the tear for plastic)
  • Waxed cardboard
Plastic made from veggie starch labeled as PLA, biodegradable or compostable

Yard waste- please keep any twigs larger than index finger separate

No plastic, metal, glass, styrofoam, twist ties, rubber bands, plastic bags, milk or oj cartons, six-pack holders, feces (animal or human), chemicals, or hazardous materials. These items will contaminate the compost.

Compost Pickup Services

(available to households and businesses*)

Regularly scheduled pickups:

  • Food and non-recyclable paper waste pickup:
    A household of two that eats most meals at home will typically fill one bucket every two weeks.

    • Residential pickup cost:

      $10/bucket for weekly pickup
      $15/bucket for biweekly pickup
      $20/bucket for monthly pickup
      (ask about neighborhood discounts)

    • Commercial pickup cost:

      $12.50/bucket
      (ask about our Corporate Discount Program)

Event Composting:

  • You can compost at your party, civil union, wedding, conference, meeting, or any other event. We'll provide you an estimate based on your menu and the number of attendees.

Holiday tree pickups:

  • $15/tree, $5 for additional greenery.

Referral Discounts:

  • Receive 25% off the cost of four pickups for each household or business you refer that signs up with Earthgirl Composting. If you fill multiple buckets for each pickup, the discount will apply to four of your buckets.

* Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to offer compost pickup for food-based businesses at this time.

Testimonials

"Thinking ahead to hire Earthgirl Composting, was for the money, an excellent way to walk the talk and educate our conference attendees about small ways that can make a big difference. One hotel conference center composting might be small, but if all hotels composted the results would be profound!"

-Roger Stephenson, Clean Air Cool Planet

"We are thrilled to be working with Megan and Earthgirl Composting. With Megan's inspiration and muscle, we began a school-wide composting program this fall. Using a cedar bin from Gardener's Supply and plastic buckets in all of the classrooms and bathrooms, we are composting all of our food scraps from snack and lunch as well as all those brown paper hand towels. The students help Megan take out the compost and turn it on a weekly basis. When the compost turns into that rich soil, it will be used in our school gardens. The kids take such pride in this work. They are involved at every level and are able to see first-hand how to turn their waste into soil and how to be good stewards of their environment. Thank you, Megan!"

-Stacy Weinberger, School Director
The Bellwether School

"We have over 100 staff and 3 kitchens at VEIC. Composting is very important to us and the service Earthgirl Composting provides is invaluable. We used to rely on staff to take the buckets when they were full, but it became a chore to recruit volunteers. Since Earthgirl, we have doubled the amount of compost coming out of our kitchens each week."

-Danielle McMahon, Office Manager
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation

Megan Kolbay, Earthgirl | 802.223.1271 | E-mail Earthgirl Composting