how it works

signup &
pickup bucket

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We'll provide a clean 5 gallon bucket with a locking lid. Buckets are sourced from pool service companies and previously carried chlorine. Feel free to use a collection receptacle of your choice if you don't like the buckets we provide. You can also get a new 5 gallon bucket with a locking screw top lid at a discounted price of $9 from our friends at San Diego Drums & Totes.
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MONTHLY SUBSCRIBERS
We will email you instructions on where to pickup your bucket after you sign up. Monthly membership fee ranges from $10-$15 (billed quarterly) depending on the dropoff location. 

PAY PER USE (BUCKET SWAP) SUBSCRIBERS
Make sure the locations and hours of the community compost hub work for you. Purchase a voucher - one bucket ($5) or ten buckets ($45).

Stop by a community compost hub during work hours. Show your voucher and pick up an empty bucket and a bucket of mulch. 

collect
scraps

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Print this out to help you remember
Watch this Video on What's Acceptable and What's Not
Both plans are for vegetative kitchen scraps only.
NO MEAT, DAIRY, BONES, GREASE or PLATE SCRAPS.
Members are expected to promptly correct any issues of contamination in their foodscraps. Three strikes and you are out.

MONTHLY SUBSCRIBERS
We do not accept loose foodscraps. Line your collection container with a plastic bag. You will dropoff the entire bag of scraps including the bag in the collection cart at the dropoff hub. You are responsible for washing and lining your collection bucket. 

PAY PER USE (BUCKET SWAP) SUBSCRIBERS
Start with a one layer of mulch in the bottom of your bucket. Keep making layers - we call it lasagna layers - alternating between foodscraps and mulch. Keep doing this until your bucket is full. You should end with mulch as the topmost layer when your bucket is full. 

dropoff
scraps

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MONTHLY SUBSCRIBERS
Bring your scraps to your selected dropoff hub every week. Please freeze your scraps if you will be dropping off less regularly.

Place your bag of scraps in the centralized collection cart or container at your selected dropoff hub. Note certain hubs have limited dropoff hours. 

PAY PER USE (BUCKET SWAP) SUBSCRIBERS
Dropoff your lasagna bucket during work hours at a community compost hub. Make sure you show your voucher or have your voucher code with you. We will deduct $5 from your voucher for each bucket you drop off.

Take another empty bucket to collect scraps and another bucket of mulch and start over.

feel the joy

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We'll take over from this point. Our team of neighborhood compost technicians will pick up the centralized collection carts to feed animals and our local soil.

We process the scraps to make compost that is used by urban growers to grow nutrient dense food. We also partner with livestock farmers who require clean source separated scraps to feed their chickens and pigs. 

MONTHLY SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE
  • 25 percent discount on bulk orders of SoilFood. Send us an email to request your coupon.
  • One quarter of free subscription for every 4 quarters of paid subscription.

SOUND GOOD? THEN JOIN US NOW!

MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION

 Find a conveniently located dropoff hub near you. Create a member profile and pay your membership dues using the Subscribe link below. You will receive instructions on where to pick up your bucket, location of the dropoff carts and anything else you need to know with respect to your dropoff site once your payment goes through. ​Members will be allowed to switch as new locations are added.

92101

Active
Achilles Coffee Roasters
703 Ash St., San Diego, CA 92101 
$15 per month, billed quarterly
Dropoff  during regular business hours
​Weekdays 6am – 4pm
Weekends 7am – 3pm​​
Achilles Coffee
800 B St., San Diego, CA 92101
$15 per month, billed quarterly
Dropoff during regular business hours
Weekdays 6am – 5pm
​Weekends 7am – 3pm

92105

Active

92109

Active
City Farmers Nursery
3110 Euclid Ave, San Diego, CA 92105   
$15 per month, billed quarterly
Dropoff  during regular business hours
Tuesday through Sunday from 9am - 5pm
​Closed Monday.
Christ Lutheran Church
​4811 Cass St, ​San Diego, CA 92109
$15 per month, billed quarterly
Hours: Dropoff anytime​

​

92113

92116
Active
Active
Ocean View Community Garden
4540 Ocean View Blvd, San Diego, CA 92113    
$10 per month, billed quarterly
Hours: Anytime during daylight hours
North Park
4446 Arizona Street, San Diego, CA 92116  
$15 per month, billed quarterly
Hours: Dropoff  anytime​

92119

Active
​
San Carlos Community Garden
6460 Boulder Lake Avenue, San Diego, CA 92119   
$10 per month, billed quarterly
Dropoff  anytime during daylight hours​

92131

Coming Soon.
Waiting for a minimum of 10 subscribers to activate hub
Garden Share - Scripps Ranch
10855 Elderwood Road, San Diego, CA 92131   
$10 per month, billed quarterly
Dropoff  anytime during daylight hours​

pay per use subscriPTION

Make sure the locations and work hours of our community compost hubs work for you. Purchase a voucher before picking up your bucket and mulch. You can go to any community compost hub listed below during work hours to pickup buckets and mulch and to dropoff your full buckets.

92113

Ocean View Community Garden
4540 Ocean View Blvd, San Diego, CA 92113    
Saturdays between 8:30 am - 10:30am

92119

San Carlos Community Garden
6460 Boulder Lake Avenue, San Diego, CA 92119   
Fridays between 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Don't see a dropoff hub in your neighborhood? We can pickup scraps from your street or apartment complex if we have a minimum of 10 participants. Leave us a message if you are willing to champion a dropoff hub in your neighborhood.