FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is my address in your service area?
Compost Dayton serves residents and businesses in the Dayton area, including Kettering, Oakwood, Centerville,
Springboro and Fairborn. We serve a 15-mile radius from our location in South Dayton. We offer service to both houses and apartment units. For apartments, we are happy to work out a secure location for you to leave your bucket. If you are not sure if you are in our service area or have any other questions, please contact us using the form below.
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Is there any smell? Can I keep the bucket in my house?
Compost Dayton buckets come with a tightly sealed lid that keeps out the smell. There is no smell if you keep it indoors, in a convenient location like your kitchen. However, the contents inside can smell. If you do not want to smell the contents of your bucket in your home when adding food scraps, we recommend leaving it outside.
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Is there a contract?
No. There is no obligation or contract when you sign up. Let us know if you ever need to cancel your membership and we will coordinate your last pickup at your convenience.
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What can I put in my compost bucket?As a general rule, if it comes from a plant, you can compost it. Fruit and veggie scraps make up the majority of what we collect. But that also includes coffee grounds, compostable plates, yard clippings, and more. Do not include any animal products, including meat or dairy, eggs, or processed foods. If you have any items in question, feel free to reach out and we will let you know.
How does pickup work?
When you become a member, you will be assigned a pickup day. The night before your pickup day, put your bucket full of food scraps outside your residence at your decided upon location. Compost Dayton employees will exchange your full bucket for a clean, fresh one. Composting without the mess!
Why are your charging for this service?
Rotting food is a stinking mess! Throwing it away is worse for our community and DIY composting is a complicated process. Compost Dayton rids you of the mess AND allows you to lessen your impact on the environment.
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Can my pickup day ever change?
Short answer, probably not. We set your pickup day based on your location, so your pickup day would only change if you move. That being said, we are a growing company! In an effort to keep as fuel efficient as possible, we may ask you to change your pickup day. If that ever happens, we will let you know in advance and make it as convenient as possible. Compost Dayton is here to make being green easy!
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What if I want to learn more about compost?
Here's our shpeel...Compost is a living soil enhancer. The strength of compost as a way to improve the health of your plants is through the living complex of microorganisms that it brings with it. These create and ecosystem in the soil which helps to promote root health, arrange nutrients in forms plants can absorb, and by holding on to more water to help get your garden through dry spells.
If you are interested in learning more, here are some great resource links!
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Crash Course to Composting - this Reddit community answers a lot of intro to composting questions, specifically linked to container gardening, how to garden using compost, and even gardening activities you can do with your kids
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How to Vermicompost - worms are important to any healthy compost pile. This video shows more about the process involved in composting on your own.
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Composting Supplies - Uncle Jim's Worm Farm is a trusted, reliable resource where you can buy live worms, indoor composters, outdoor composters, even heirloom seeds! They even have educational resources for kids and groups.
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Bokashi Composting - Bokashi composting is a fermenting composting process for all kitchen scraps, including meat and dairy products, ultimately producing a nutrient-rich tea for plants. The Planet Natural Research Center has great information on this process and resources if you want to do more.