COMPOSTING
Become A Member Today For Access to Composting
Compost your scraps at the Nature Center
Our Maple, Hickory, Beech, and Oak members enjoy compost drop-off anytime during park hours, from dawn to dusk. The composting bins are located to the left of our main building, next to the tool shed. If all of the bins are full, please let us know. You may need to come back after they are emptied. The bins are collected every week on Fridays.
Why do this? Composting is an easy way to care for the planet by turning food scraps and other natural materials into nutrient-rich soil instead of sending them to the landfill. And doing it at the Nature Center is cheaper than a traditional residential composting service! Residential compost pickup plans can cost up to $40/month depending on the size of the bin(s) and the number of pickups per month. At the Nature Center, you get unlimited composting alongside your other membership perks.
STEP ONE: WATCH THE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
Watch Video
STEP TWO: FILL OUT THE FORM
Fill out the form verifying that you watched and understood the composting instructions. You will then receive a code to unlock the compost bins at the Nature Center. Click here if the embedded form below is not working.
LOST YOUR BIN CODE OR NEED HELP?
If you are having trouble with your code at the compost bins, or have lost your code, please give us a call at 770-394-3322 or stop by our Main Office (the white building to the right of the compost bins) and we will help you get it sorted out!
GUIDELINES ON WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT COMPOST
Our compost bins can accept food scraps like fruit and vegetable scraps, meat, fish, dairy, eggs, bread, pasta, coffee grounds, and tea (remove staples from tea bags), along with paper products like pizza boxes, paper towels, and newspaper, yard waste, natural fabrics, and certified compostable items. If you’re not sure about a specific item, we have a full list of what we do and do not accept for composting.
You can also download a copy of the guidelines and put it in your kitchen or by your trashcan as a reminder.
| YES. Compostable Bring it to the Nature Center | NOPE. Not compostable with the Nature Center Put it in the recycling or trash |
|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetable scraps | PLASTICS (unless labeled compostable) |
| Meat, bones, fish products | Styrofoam meat trays |
| Pasta, bread, cereal | Aluminum foil |
| Cooked foods | Clams, oysters, mussels (they are basically rocks) |
| Dairy products, egg shells | Candles, synthetic corks, and gum |
| Coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags | Artificial flowers and plants |
| Paper towels and paper towel rolls | Rugs, carpets |
| Soiled paper food packaging | Cigarette butts, tobacco |
| Pizza boxes | Dental floss and Q-tips |
| Muffin wrappers | Baby wipes |
| Flour and sugar bags | Disposable mop sheets |
| Paper plates | Dryer lint sheets |
| Candies, cookies, and cake | Vacuum cleaner bags |
| Baking ingredients, herbs, spices | Hair, pet fur, pet waste |
| Household plants including soil | Dead animals |
| 100% cotton cheesecloth | Fireplace or BBQ ashes |
| Pet food | Recyclable materials |
| Items labeled "BPI Certified Compostable" | Items labeled "biodegradable" (this is meaningless) |
| Items labeled "oxo-biodegradable" (this is meaningless) |
HOW TO COMPOST AT THE NATURE CENTER
Walk to the compost bins
Park in the normal Nature Center parking lot and use either of the entrances to the park. Stay to the left on the path until you see a gray shed.
Use your code to open the lid
Input your code into the lock to unlock the top of the container. Raise up the lid.
Place your compost in one of the bins
Pour your compost into whichever bin is not full. Dispose of your trash bags in the trashcans in front of the Main Building.
