Buy Compost Seattle [2021]
In an earlier post on mulch, we explained the difference between compost (a material made of decomposing organic matter) and mulch (a protective covering on the surface of soil). I confess that we in the garden industry often confuse newer gardeners by using the terms interchangeably since compost often makes an ideal mulch, as well as an excellent soil amendment (what we mix into soil when we plant).
buy compost seattle
Not all soils are this bad, of course. There are settings that have avoided compaction and where heavy plantings of trees, shrubs, and/or perennials have naturally provided a steady and nutritious mulch of leaves, twigs, and other material over the years. But many of our soils indeed benefit from adding compost.
You can, of course, make it at home from yard and kitchen waste. The benefits of "closing the loop" through home composting are well-documented. There are many ways to make compost if you have the materials, space and time (see some resources at the end of this post).
If you lack the time or space to make your own compost, there are commercial versions. The bagged soil amendments we sell at Swansons are mixes of organic ingredients specifically formulated to mix into garden soil. They have certain advantages: they lack weed seeds that sometimes infiltrate our home compost, many include mycorrhizae to help the microorganism network, and they're very easy to transport and apply. Some compost mixes also include composted manures, which add nutrients and are especially suited for vegetable planting. See our list of recommended soil amendments for specific garden projects.
Seattle has a reputation for having some of the best recyclers in the nation, and that includes composting as well! Seattle residents help both the environment and the economy by composting their food scraps and yard waste.
Whether its food scraps or ends, moldy or rotten, food can always be composted. Food-soiled paper like greasy pizza boxes can be composted, but clean cardboard boxes should be recycled. Just make sure you recycle right.
Check our compost guidelines to ensure you're putting the right materials in your compost container. If you are still unsure if it goes in the compost, put it in the garbage to avoid contamination. You can also look up any item in our Where Does It Go? Tool.
Kitchen Compost Collection Containers: Using a container in your kitchen is a great way to collect your food scraps and allows you to compost as you prepare, cook, and clean up. Containers like old coffee cans, ice cream tubs, and plastic pitchers are great for collecting food scraps until you are ready to put them in your compost cart. You can also buy containers made from plastic, stainless steel, or ceramic to collect your scraps.
Storing your compost until it is ready for the green cart: Store your container wherever is most convenient for you, on a countertop or even in the refrigerator or freezer. Lids help keep odors contained and pests away, and compostable bags make it easier to take your compost out to your cart. Only put approved compostable bags in the compost.
More than 30 percent of garbage is food waste that could have been composted. When you compost, you keep valuable resources out of the landfill and avoid methane emissions that contribute to climate change.
When compost is returned to the soil, it adds nutrients, retains water, increases yields when growing food and stores carbon. Using compost on lawns and gardens also reduces pesticide use, reduces stormwater run-off, and returns important nutrients to the soil so more fruits, vegetables, trees, grasses and other plants can thrive. Learn more about the benefits of composting.
Woodland Park Zoo's Zoo Doo is the most exotic compost available in the Pacific Northwest. Zoo Doo is a fully composted blend of select animal manures mixed with bedding materials such as straw and wood chips from around the grounds of the zoo. As a conservation organization, Woodland Park Zoo is committed to being a steward of the environment and turning animal waste into a valuable resource is just one example of our sustainability efforts.
The process begins when fresh manure and bedding materials are collected from animal enclosures. Next, the materials are taken to the Zoo Doo yard for composting. The active composting phase lasts 30 days and the piles maintain temperatures between 135F and 160F, which allows for optimal decomposition of organic materials as well as destroying weed seeds and potential pathogens.
Had no idea this place existed in Ballard. You can buy dirt and compost by the half-yard and load it into the back of your car. They also have mulch, clean gravel and various tools and other gardening supplies in the shop. Prices are competitive with other nurseries and this place is really convenient if you want to buy in smaller quantities and haul it yourself.
We are a family business that has been providing dirt and compost for gardens throughout the Ballard and Magnolia areas for the last 10 years. There is no other place in the city that you can drop off yard waste (like sod, dirt, concrete or brush) then pick up new fish-compost or drain rock in the same shopping trip, 5 minutes from your house.
Businesses that generate food waste or compostable paper must subscribe to a composting service or self-haul their food waste to a transfer station for processing. They can also save money and reduce waste through the City of Seattle's Commercial Compost Collection. Learn more about business & commercial composting.
Tilth Alliance - Offers classes in composting and organic gardening. Soils for Salmon - Shows building and design professionals how to use compost to reduce storm runoff, protect our watersheds, and grow healthier landscapes.
Fans looking for sustainable food options have several choices. More information can be found here. Fans can also enjoy their sustainable food with the peace of mind that nearly all food service ware used at T-Mobile Park is recyclable or compostable including plates, knives, forks, cups, straws, bottles, etc.. Compost and recycling bins have replaced garbage cans on concourses and cleaning crews hand-separate plastics and compostable waste after each game.
Zero Waste Stations placed strategically throughout the public areas of T-Mobile Park educate and encourage fans to recycle by placing their waste in the proper containers. There are 16 Zero Waste Stations with containers for recyclable bottles and cans, food waste and compostables, and the only landfill-bound waste containers in the entire ballpark. The Zero Waste Stations are in addition to dozens of combination compostable/recyclable containers each made from reclaimed milk jugs.
In 2017, the Mariners received the Green Glove Award for the highest recycling rate in MLB. The Mariners recycled 96% of all waste generated that season. Since 2010, the first year the Mariners were recognized by MLB for sustainability practices, the Mariners recycling rate at T-Mobile Park has averaged 85%, one of the highest marks in all of professional sports. Nearly everything used at T-Mobile Park is recyclable or compostable including food service items (plates, knives, forks, cups, straws, bottles, etc.). Compost and recycling bins have replaced garbage cans on concourses and cleaning crews hand-separate plastics and compostable waste after each game. The Mariners received the Environmental Protection Agency 2018 Food Recovery Challenge Sports & Entertainment Venues Award for diverting more than 761 tons of food waste in 2017. In addition, each year, the Mariners concessions partner Sodexo Live! donates tons of food to Northwest Harvest, Operation Sack Lunch and the Salvation Army.
This is the first time that the program has been held in the summer, thanks in large part to an overhaul of the zoo's compost system two years ago. Residents must enter the zoo's lottery system by July 9 for a chance to purchase some of the compost, with amounts starting at 10 gallons to a maximum of 100 gallons or by the truckload. The compost is limited to one full truckload per person.
Zoo officials noted that the program, which is popular with gardeners, helps the organization reduce its ecological footprint. The zoo composts approximately 500 tons of animal waste each year, saving $125,000 in disposal costs.
KCD has a two-yard compost spreader available to landowners in our service area. Use of the spreader requires a manure and nutrient management consultation and recent soil test results. The spreader is available from April 1 to September 31.
Cedar Grove Composting here. We received this blog alert and are so very sorry to read about any dissatisfaction with our product. We do make a recycled product, and we count on citizens putting the appropriate things in their yard/food waste collection bins so we can minimize the inert levels. We also work very hard to send good, clean material out and we are obsessive about customer satisfaction. We know that we cannot maintain our organics recycling program without satisfied customers taking the product back to their gardens. Please help us by talking to your neighbors about putting only compostable material in their collection bins. With that, if there have been any loads from Cedar Grove you have received this season that you are dissatisfied with, we encourage you to call our service desk at 206-832-3286 and tell us about the problem directly. We stand behind our customer commitments, and if you have not had a positive experience working with us, we would appreciate the opportunity to make it right. We are proud of the years we have served the West Seattle market with our compost, soils and mulches. Your satisfaction and loyalty matter to us, and we want to work with you now and in the future!
Also appearing is composer and bassist Kelsey Mines, the Earshot Golden Ear Emerging Artist of 2019. Mines premieres her Festival-commissioned work Compost:People which addresses the toll of fossil fuels and petroleum products. Compost:People is a project of reimagining. The music reflects a dreamed, collective transition from petroleum products and fossil fuels, towards the organic, compostable and renewable. Visions of regeneration are conjured in this eight-piece chamber music work, by way of improvised, through-composed, and visual storytelling. 041b061a72