What Park Ridge Residents Need to Know Right Now Composting is one of the most powerful things we can do for our soil, our water, our community, and our climate. But in Illinois right now, the composting landscape is genuinely complicated — and as your neighbors and fellow stewards of this town, we want to give you a clear picture of what's happening, what's reliable, and what the best choices are for your household.
The State of Composting in Illinois People have been working hard to expand access to food scrap composting statewide, and real progress is being made — but the truth is that infrastructure to handle all organic materials consistently and at scale isn't fully there yet. That gap matters, because when materials end up in the wrong system, they don't break down as intended. They contaminate. The most pressing example of this is compostable packaging. The Compostable Packaging Problem You've probably seen the labels: "compostable," "certified compostable," "made from plants." They sound like good news. The reality is more complicated. Most compostable packaging — even products certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) — requires industrial composting conditions to break down: specific temperatures, moisture levels, and processing times that your backyard bin and most municipal programs simply can't replicate. At home, these products often persist. In curbside programs not specifically equipped for compost processors, the packaging can cause contamination that may downgrade or reject entire loads of otherwise recoverable organics. Our Recommendation: Compostable packaging goes in the regular waste bin for now. We know that feels counterintuitive — but in the current Illinois system, that's the honest, science-backed answer. When our regional infrastructure catches up, we'll say so. Your Three Best Options — In Order Think of this as a hierarchy. The closer to home, the better. 1. Compost at Home This is always the cleanest loop. When you compost fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, lawn clippings, and yard materials in your own backyard — through a heap, tumbler, or bin — those nutrients return directly to your soil. Nothing is transported. Nothing is processed elsewhere. The carbon stays local. If you haven't started yet, it's easier than you think. Go Green Park Ridge and the EPA can help you get set up. 2. The Urban Canopy — Local. The next best option. For items that don't belong in backyard bins — meat, bones, oils, dairy, and more — The Urban Canopy is an excellent option. They deliver a bucket to your door and pick it up on a regular schedule. Short transport distance, strong composting infrastructure, and a business we're proud to support. In addition to residential service, Park Ridge offers area drop-off locations currently managed by The Urban Canopy for free drop-off of acceptable food scraps for composting. See The Urban Canopy's full list of accepted materials: https://www.theurbancanopy.org/resource-articles/composting-best-practices 3. Park Ridge Curbside Yard Waste + Food Scrap Pickup (via SBC) The city offers food scrap pickup with yard refuse through SBC's seasonal ride-along program. This could be a meaningful step forward for our community. We think it’s great that more and more residents are diverting food scraps from landfills— just remember, we recommend compostable packaging should still go in the regular bin, even with this option. SBC provides a list of acceptable items (though it remains unclear to the public whether the processor they have indicated is accepting material beyond your grass clippings, leaves and brush. When in Doubt, Keep It Local The core principle is simple: the shorter the loop, the better. Food scraps that stay in your yard feed your soil. Food scraps that stay in Park Ridge feed our community's green spaces. The further organics travel — and the more they get mixed with materials the system can't handle — the more value is lost. As the industries sort out compostable packaging and Illinois builds out its compost infrastructure, we'll keep you updated. In the meantime: compost what you can, (If it grows, it goes!), aim to choose the closest loop available to you, and it’s best to leave compostable packaging out of the compost bin. Go Green Park Ridge is committed to sharing honest, science-grounded guidance as the composting landscape in Illinois evolves. We are closely following developments in state organics policy. Helpful reading:
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Partnership with The Urban Canopy and Go Green Park Ridge Diverts Food Scraps from Landfill. |
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Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting. For more info, and to see the ca-utest video that Go Green Park Ridge Member Nicole Burmingham and Family created,
click HERE!
More to come in our Compost Spotlight series. Stay tuned.
click HERE!
More to come in our Compost Spotlight series. Stay tuned.
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Go Green Park Ridge is proud to spotlight our neighbors COMPOSTING! This interview is part of a series raising awareness of reducing wasted food, seeing the various opportunities to compost right outside our doors and inspiring each other to keep making a difference.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
What motivated you to begin composting?
I’ve always been pretty passionate about the environment and reducing waste, so composting felt like a natural next step for me. Turning food scraps into nutrient-rich soil for plants and producing less methane gas seemed like a win-win. However, the idea of having a backyard bin and raising worms felt a bit overwhelming. The community bins in Park Ridge was just what I needed to get started. I heard about the bins from members of a green initiative group I'm a part of with Park Ridge Community Church. The more I learned about the benefits of composting and how simple it is, the more motivated I became to continue.
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
Composting is often misunderstood as unpleasant or odorous, but in reality, it’s a straightforward and clean process. Food scraps are either disposed of in a landfill or diverted to a composting system. Much like recycling, it simply requires placing materials in the appropriate container, making it an easy and effective way to manage organic waste.
How long have you been composting?
I'm a beginner.
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
You don’t need a special composting bin. I personally find it more convenient to store food scraps in a container in the fridge until I’m ready to take them to the community bins. Additionally, I prep large batches of fruits and vegetables at once, which helps me make the most of each trip to the bins.
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
I would love to see more composting bins throughout Park Ridge. The more accessible the bins are, the easier it becomes for more people to participate in composting.
I’ve always been pretty passionate about the environment and reducing waste, so composting felt like a natural next step for me. Turning food scraps into nutrient-rich soil for plants and producing less methane gas seemed like a win-win. However, the idea of having a backyard bin and raising worms felt a bit overwhelming. The community bins in Park Ridge was just what I needed to get started. I heard about the bins from members of a green initiative group I'm a part of with Park Ridge Community Church. The more I learned about the benefits of composting and how simple it is, the more motivated I became to continue.
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
Composting is often misunderstood as unpleasant or odorous, but in reality, it’s a straightforward and clean process. Food scraps are either disposed of in a landfill or diverted to a composting system. Much like recycling, it simply requires placing materials in the appropriate container, making it an easy and effective way to manage organic waste.
How long have you been composting?
I'm a beginner.
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
You don’t need a special composting bin. I personally find it more convenient to store food scraps in a container in the fridge until I’m ready to take them to the community bins. Additionally, I prep large batches of fruits and vegetables at once, which helps me make the most of each trip to the bins.
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
I would love to see more composting bins throughout Park Ridge. The more accessible the bins are, the easier it becomes for more people to participate in composting.
Go Green Park Ridge is proud to spotlight our neighbors COMPOSTING! This interview is part of a series raising awareness of reducing wasted food, seeing the various opportunities to compost right outside our doors and inspiring each other to keep making a difference.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
What got you into composting?
I had been interested in it for a while, so I researched the different opportunities for composting. I hadn't really decided on my final plan, and then my kids gifted me my composting bin, which was working great. The difficulty with the worm composting bin, is that the worms could not eat as much food as I wanted to give them. So, this year, we bought 2 sets of worms, and they still can't keep up.
Please describe any aha moments when you began composting?
How long have you been composting?
Formally, I've been composting with worms for a little over three years. Before then, I was finding ways to leverage the food waste from coffee and tea grounds in my home garden to reduce the waste from those materials.
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
I had been interested in it for a while, so I researched the different opportunities for composting. I hadn't really decided on my final plan, and then my kids gifted me my composting bin, which was working great. The difficulty with the worm composting bin, is that the worms could not eat as much food as I wanted to give them. So, this year, we bought 2 sets of worms, and they still can't keep up.
Please describe any aha moments when you began composting?
- Composting is pretty easy!
- It was great to see how much stuff we deem as waste not actually going in the garden and having a productive 'end of life'.
- You can't just put food scraps directly into a container and call it composting - you need the dry 'ingredients' too. I generally use cardboard pieces without ink on it, dry leaves, etc.
- It's been great to manage my 'overflow' food scraps by bringing them to the location in Uptown Park Ridge by the triangular parking lot near the train station when my worms can't go through all of the food scraps I have! With the community composting site, I've noticed that sometimes the bin is full, which is great to see so many people in Park Ridge participating in an opportunity to reduce food waste!
- It's exciting to use your own compost in your yard to make your trees, bushes, garden, etc. healthier.
- I was surprised to see that my worms multiplied over time. I never directly counted them, but it was clear to see that the number increased.
How long have you been composting?
Formally, I've been composting with worms for a little over three years. Before then, I was finding ways to leverage the food waste from coffee and tea grounds in my home garden to reduce the waste from those materials.
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
- Start small, make it easy - you don't have to begin with worms and your own composting bin at home if that feels daunting. It's great that we now have access to a community composting bin.
- Use an opaque, sealed leftover container to put your food scraps in - I use a coffee grounds canister - and if you want to reduce the smell if you're collecting scraps over the span of a few days to a week, consider putting it in your fridge or freezer. This reduces the sights and smells, and then I just drop off these excess scraps at the community composting site on the way to the farmer's market or any trips I have to make through Uptown.
- If you do decide to begin the adventure of at-home composting, note that there's a difference between what you can compost in your at-home bin versus what you can compost at the community site. At the community site, you can compost scraps such as cheese, meat, bones, and coffee filters; at home, none of these items should be composted. There's more to the science than this, but ultimately, it gets down to the fact that bigger composting piles have a higher internal temperature as opposed to smaller composting piles (like those at home), which is why certain things can be more easily composted at community piles or in commercial facilities, where those are available.
- I think it's important to clarify what composting actually means and what the end result of compost looks like. Composting is a process to help decompose food scraps into compost - while the initial food scrap themselves may smell (which is why it's best to keep them in the fridge or freezer while you're collecting), once you put them in with the worms and the scraps don't smell, because they are being broken down and processed by the worms. The end result of compost is an earthy, dark soil colored and smelling, nutrient-dense output that you can spread on your soil. Composting does NOT mean you just spread food scraps around on the soil.
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
- Spread the word! Tell your family, friends, and neighbors that we have this great opportunity, and that it's easy. It helps make the world a better place for you, your kids, your grandkids.
- If you're interested in at-home composting, but doing it by yourself feels like a lot, consider asking your neighbors if they're willing to share a composting bin and responsibilities with you!
- I hope that the city can continue to promote awareness of our community composting as well, as it's an incredible resource we have access to and should be taking advantage of.
- Get your kids excited about it and participating at home so they're scraping their food scraps from their plates into your bin that you drop off at the community site, or if you're at-home composting, I'm sure they'd love to learn about the worms.
- If it feels like too much to manage your own composting bin or to have to drop scraps off at the community site too, there are other services that you can look into where they give you a big bucket and you can collect scraps and a service will come collect it after a period of time. I can't speak to this from experience, but want to make sure people know there are alternatives and other resources if they need.
- I can't help but think that if we take care of the earth, earth will take care of us too. <3
Go Green Park Ridge is proud to spotlight our neighbors COMPOSTING! This interview is part of a series raising awareness of reducing wasted food, seeing the various opportunities to compost right outside our doors and inspiring each other to keep making a difference.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
What motivated you to begin composting?
I was motivated to start composting years ago when I saw how much food scrap waste we had that could be kept out of a landfill and be turned into something good for the earth! I first tried backyard composting, but I found that it wasn't the right fit for our family since we kept filling up our compost area quicker than it was breaking down. One of my brothers was using a composting service (that picked his up from the lobby of his condo) and told me how easy it was, so we signed up too!
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
The amount of things that can be composted with the compost service is amazing! It's not just fruit/veggie scraps but meat/fish/dairy waste, greasy pizza boxes, & certified compostable cutlery/paper towels/napkins to name a few...it really does reduce the amount of waste you have to put in a landfill! It has become a natural habit for our family to compost-so much so that my ten year old recently asked where the compost was when we were on vacation. :-).
How long have you been composting?
We have been composting for about 8 years. We use Collective Resource Compost Cooperative, and it couldn't be easier, especially since Park Ridge has a community program with them (which makes it cheaper for us than it used to be)! We keep a small covered step can (lined with a compostable bag: bio bag brand) in the kitchen and transfer it out to a 5 gallon covered bucket that the service provides us with. They swap out our 5 gal bucket every week. The weekly pick up is perfect for our family of 5 and very affordable: less than a dollar/day. If we host a holiday or a party, and we know we're going to have more compostable waste than usual, I order an extra bucket for that week. I'm planning on doing this for our upcoming block party!
We have not had any major issues with bugs or animals. We don't freeze our compost, but you can if you're worried about smells, bugs, etc. A tight lid on the outside bucket prevents any curious neighborhood animals from getting in.
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
Check out the Collective Resource's website: Composting in Park Ridge IL | Collective Resource Compost Cooperative and sign up today-you'll feel so good doing something good for the earth!
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
I think GGPR is doing a wonderful job with programs & getting the word out! I see communication from the school district emails with green tips encouraging re-using school supplies, recycling, and trying to have low waste lunches! The GGPR social media posts are great too! I think the library programs are also awesome because they're reaching the population of people that maybe don't have school age kids and may not be on social media.
I think the biggest hang up for people is that they think it's going to attract bugs/rodents. I also think people who live in apartments and condos don't always realize they can use the service too!
I was motivated to start composting years ago when I saw how much food scrap waste we had that could be kept out of a landfill and be turned into something good for the earth! I first tried backyard composting, but I found that it wasn't the right fit for our family since we kept filling up our compost area quicker than it was breaking down. One of my brothers was using a composting service (that picked his up from the lobby of his condo) and told me how easy it was, so we signed up too!
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
The amount of things that can be composted with the compost service is amazing! It's not just fruit/veggie scraps but meat/fish/dairy waste, greasy pizza boxes, & certified compostable cutlery/paper towels/napkins to name a few...it really does reduce the amount of waste you have to put in a landfill! It has become a natural habit for our family to compost-so much so that my ten year old recently asked where the compost was when we were on vacation. :-).
How long have you been composting?
We have been composting for about 8 years. We use Collective Resource Compost Cooperative, and it couldn't be easier, especially since Park Ridge has a community program with them (which makes it cheaper for us than it used to be)! We keep a small covered step can (lined with a compostable bag: bio bag brand) in the kitchen and transfer it out to a 5 gallon covered bucket that the service provides us with. They swap out our 5 gal bucket every week. The weekly pick up is perfect for our family of 5 and very affordable: less than a dollar/day. If we host a holiday or a party, and we know we're going to have more compostable waste than usual, I order an extra bucket for that week. I'm planning on doing this for our upcoming block party!
We have not had any major issues with bugs or animals. We don't freeze our compost, but you can if you're worried about smells, bugs, etc. A tight lid on the outside bucket prevents any curious neighborhood animals from getting in.
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
Check out the Collective Resource's website: Composting in Park Ridge IL | Collective Resource Compost Cooperative and sign up today-you'll feel so good doing something good for the earth!
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
I think GGPR is doing a wonderful job with programs & getting the word out! I see communication from the school district emails with green tips encouraging re-using school supplies, recycling, and trying to have low waste lunches! The GGPR social media posts are great too! I think the library programs are also awesome because they're reaching the population of people that maybe don't have school age kids and may not be on social media.
I think the biggest hang up for people is that they think it's going to attract bugs/rodents. I also think people who live in apartments and condos don't always realize they can use the service too!
Go Green Park Ridge is proud to spotlight our neighbors COMPOSTING! This interview is part of a series raising awareness of reducing wasted food, seeing the various opportunities to compost right outside our doors and inspiring each other to keep making a difference.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
What motivated you to begin composting?
When we moved into our home, my mom offered to buy us a garbage disposal as a housewarming gift. After doing some investigating, it seemed that a garbage disposal was ok but not the ideal solution for food waste. Composting would be the best, but we felt we didn’t have the bandwidth to learn backyard composting at the time (babies, work, etc.). I found out that Collective Resource Compost Cooperative (CRCC) serviced our area, and it wasn’t exorbitantly expensive, so mom was able to pivot and sponsor our first year as a gift.
It was also - and I stress this - incredibly easy. A commercial organization like CRCC can accept things that could not go into a backyard bin (namely, animal products). For us, it is a matter of collecting scraps in an undersink bin, transferring them to the orange bucket, and leaving it outside on pickup day. The hardest thing was adding the reminder to our family calendar.
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
After composting for a while, I would try to compost *everything* that might be acceptable. Since CRCC accepts “anything that was once alive” I wondered if that included things like supplements/vitamins (yes) and even compost-certified cups (also yes). Every time I had a question, I emailed the team and received a quick response. It is much better to ask first because contamination is a problem everyone wants to avoid.
How long have you been composting?
We have been customers of Collective Resource Compost Cooperative since 2019. Our family of four has a bucket swap every other week. The highest volume times were during COVID lockdown and when our children were babies and were trying/rejecting/throwing new foods.
Do you have any advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
The new collection bins in Uptown are a good way to try out composting and get a feel for how much a household produces in a certain amount of time. Then, if it makes sense to go bigger and contract with CRCC or set up a backyard system, it’s easier to take that step. We are fortunate to live where we have options!
Any advice to help PR increase participation in composting?
I hope the Uptown collection bins multiply and pop up in more locations - from what I can tell, they are popular. Students in D64 schools separate lunch waste into composting and landfill bins - parents can ask their students for a demo! If a restaurant or event practices composting, they should advertise that - it would be a big plus for waste-conscious customers and gets the food waste conversation going for others. Hosting a party at home is also a great opportunity to demonstrate to guests how easy it is.
When we moved into our home, my mom offered to buy us a garbage disposal as a housewarming gift. After doing some investigating, it seemed that a garbage disposal was ok but not the ideal solution for food waste. Composting would be the best, but we felt we didn’t have the bandwidth to learn backyard composting at the time (babies, work, etc.). I found out that Collective Resource Compost Cooperative (CRCC) serviced our area, and it wasn’t exorbitantly expensive, so mom was able to pivot and sponsor our first year as a gift.
It was also - and I stress this - incredibly easy. A commercial organization like CRCC can accept things that could not go into a backyard bin (namely, animal products). For us, it is a matter of collecting scraps in an undersink bin, transferring them to the orange bucket, and leaving it outside on pickup day. The hardest thing was adding the reminder to our family calendar.
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
After composting for a while, I would try to compost *everything* that might be acceptable. Since CRCC accepts “anything that was once alive” I wondered if that included things like supplements/vitamins (yes) and even compost-certified cups (also yes). Every time I had a question, I emailed the team and received a quick response. It is much better to ask first because contamination is a problem everyone wants to avoid.
How long have you been composting?
We have been customers of Collective Resource Compost Cooperative since 2019. Our family of four has a bucket swap every other week. The highest volume times were during COVID lockdown and when our children were babies and were trying/rejecting/throwing new foods.
Do you have any advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
The new collection bins in Uptown are a good way to try out composting and get a feel for how much a household produces in a certain amount of time. Then, if it makes sense to go bigger and contract with CRCC or set up a backyard system, it’s easier to take that step. We are fortunate to live where we have options!
Any advice to help PR increase participation in composting?
I hope the Uptown collection bins multiply and pop up in more locations - from what I can tell, they are popular. Students in D64 schools separate lunch waste into composting and landfill bins - parents can ask their students for a demo! If a restaurant or event practices composting, they should advertise that - it would be a big plus for waste-conscious customers and gets the food waste conversation going for others. Hosting a party at home is also a great opportunity to demonstrate to guests how easy it is.
Go Green Park Ridge is proud to spotlight our neighbors COMPOSTING! This interview is part of a series raising awareness of reducing wasted food, seeing the various opportunities to compost right outside our doors and inspiring each other to keep making a difference.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
What motivated you to begin composting?
We started when we lived in Colorado, where there were strong eco-friendly vibes. It sounded like a win-win way to keep food waste out of the landfill while generating free fertilizer for the garden.
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
On the weeks where we don’t compost (and just throw all the vegetable scraps in the garbage), the kitchen garbage gets MUCH stinkier MUCH faster!
More recently, I figured out that a bale of straw next to the outdoor bin is great for balancing out the wet green (high-nitrogen) kitchen scraps with some dry brown (high-carbon) material, to keep a healthy green:brown ratio and help aerate the scraps.
How long have you been composting?
So long that I can’t remember exactly when we started. Over 20 years?
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
There’s no one right way to compost; don’t let anyone tell you you’re doing it wrong. Start small, experiment with different techniques, and find something that works for you.
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
Make it easy, and make it popular. Maybe work with schools to get kids interested, and then those students can convince their parents to try it.
We started when we lived in Colorado, where there were strong eco-friendly vibes. It sounded like a win-win way to keep food waste out of the landfill while generating free fertilizer for the garden.
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
On the weeks where we don’t compost (and just throw all the vegetable scraps in the garbage), the kitchen garbage gets MUCH stinkier MUCH faster!
More recently, I figured out that a bale of straw next to the outdoor bin is great for balancing out the wet green (high-nitrogen) kitchen scraps with some dry brown (high-carbon) material, to keep a healthy green:brown ratio and help aerate the scraps.
How long have you been composting?
So long that I can’t remember exactly when we started. Over 20 years?
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
There’s no one right way to compost; don’t let anyone tell you you’re doing it wrong. Start small, experiment with different techniques, and find something that works for you.
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
Make it easy, and make it popular. Maybe work with schools to get kids interested, and then those students can convince their parents to try it.
Go Green Park Ridge is proud to spotlight our neighbors COMPOSTING! This interview is part of a series raising awareness of reducing wasted food, seeing the various opportunities to compost right outside our doors and inspiring each other to keep making a difference.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.
What motivated you to begin composting?It was a mix of falling in love with gardening, discovering the science behind soil health, and wanting to turn our family’s waste into something useful. It just seemed crazy to throw away food scraps, paper towels, and even sending away yard waste like fallen leaves when they could all be put to work right here in my own garden!
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
While reading about composting—probably on Reddit—I came across the phrase “everything rots.” That took a lot of the pressure off of “getting it right.” If the pile isn’t super active, gets too dry, too wet, or a bit smelly, there are always ways to bring it back on track. No matter what, the materials will eventually break down into compost one way or another.
How long have you been composting?
We just started this spring! I’m especially looking forward to adding more fruits and vegetable scraps once we collect fallen leaves in the fall—that will help balance out the high nitrogen and moisture content from the scraps.
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
Check out composting books from the Park Ridge Library, talk to friends or family who compost, and visit the EPA website for getting started. You don’t need fancy gear—a pile works just fine. I started with an expandable Geobin my brother gave me, and later bought another for $35 to start a second pile. You can also repurpose materials like untreated pallets and chicken wire.
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
We need to shift our mindset, starting in our own backyards. Many of us are disconnected from where our food comes from and from the vital role soil health plays—not just in growing food, but in reducing rainwater runoff, erosion, flood risk, and pollution. Composting was once common before synthetic fertilizers became widespread; we should normalize it again. Instead of buying bags of soil, mulch, and chemical fertilizers, we can nourish our soil with compost we make ourselves.
And, not to state the obvious, but citywide compost pickup would be a game changer. If compost collection were part of regular trash and recycling services, it would make participation possible for everyone—regardless of income, physical ability, or comfort level with backyard composting. Many cities already do this; it would be amazing if Park Ridge and nearby communities followed suit.
Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
While reading about composting—probably on Reddit—I came across the phrase “everything rots.” That took a lot of the pressure off of “getting it right.” If the pile isn’t super active, gets too dry, too wet, or a bit smelly, there are always ways to bring it back on track. No matter what, the materials will eventually break down into compost one way or another.
How long have you been composting?
We just started this spring! I’m especially looking forward to adding more fruits and vegetable scraps once we collect fallen leaves in the fall—that will help balance out the high nitrogen and moisture content from the scraps.
Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
Check out composting books from the Park Ridge Library, talk to friends or family who compost, and visit the EPA website for getting started. You don’t need fancy gear—a pile works just fine. I started with an expandable Geobin my brother gave me, and later bought another for $35 to start a second pile. You can also repurpose materials like untreated pallets and chicken wire.
Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
We need to shift our mindset, starting in our own backyards. Many of us are disconnected from where our food comes from and from the vital role soil health plays—not just in growing food, but in reducing rainwater runoff, erosion, flood risk, and pollution. Composting was once common before synthetic fertilizers became widespread; we should normalize it again. Instead of buying bags of soil, mulch, and chemical fertilizers, we can nourish our soil with compost we make ourselves.
And, not to state the obvious, but citywide compost pickup would be a game changer. If compost collection were part of regular trash and recycling services, it would make participation possible for everyone—regardless of income, physical ability, or comfort level with backyard composting. Many cities already do this; it would be amazing if Park Ridge and nearby communities followed suit.
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Park Ridge GoGreen
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