Composting (Food and Yard Waste)

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Composting services are available to residents and businesses within Johnson County, Kalona, and Riverside. Materials from outside of this service area are not accepted.

Iowa City residents who receive curbside services can place food and yard waste at the curb to be picked up and transported to the Landfill's Compost Facility. Any resident or business in Johnson County can transport food and yard waste directly to the Compost Facility.

Note: Open burning of yard waste and other refuse is prohibited in Iowa City. Yard waste is banned from the landfill, and can be handled through local composting programs listed below.

Leave the leaves for healthier lawns and soil

Reduce work, improve soil quality, support pollinators, and benefit from beautiful home lawns and gardens with these fall lawn tips courtesy of the City! View the short video to learn more.

Leaves

This fall, leave your leaves right at home. Here’s how:

Mulch the fallen leaves directly into your lawn with mowing. Learn how to online.
- "If you have just a few leaves, such as 20 percent of the lawn covered, you can just ignore them...If you have a moderate amount of leaves, such as 50 percent coverage, you still don’t need to rake. Simply run your lawn mower over them to chop them into smaller pieces so they can settle between the grass blades where they will decompose over time and release nutrients for your lawn to use next year. If you have a thick layer of leaves, where you can barely see any signs of grass beneath them, then it’s best if you remove some of the leaves to prevent matting and smothering of the grass" (University of Wisconsin)
Use leaves as a mulch and cover on garden beds for the fall and winter seasons.
Compost the leaves in your own yard. Learn how to compost at home online.

Here’s why:

Leaving your leaves as mulch/cover on a lawn or garden:
- Provides habitat to pollinators, such as moths, bees, and butterflies for laying eggs, building nests, and winter shelter.
- Provides valuable nutrients back into the soil. This keeps your yards and soil healthy which gives them a kickstart next spring.
Composting the leaves will provide a nutrient-rich soil amendment by next growing season that you can then use on your lawn or garden.

We encourage residents to utilize their curbside composting and leaf vacuum programs, but also recognize the added environmental impact these programs result in with transportation emissions and resources needed to process organic material elsewhere.

Leaving your leaves right at home reduces this environmental impact and results in many other environmental benefits for your yards. As a reminder: yard waste is not allowed to go into the trash, per state law.

Compost and mulch

Nourish the shoots, stems, and roots of any plant (including grass!) growing in your yard with the use of compost and mulch.

When added to soil, compost improves the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. Compost can be used as a soil supplement in flower beds, vegetable gardens, lawns, planting a new tree or shrub, and seed starting mixtures.

When added to landscaping and garden beds, mulch retains moisture (keeping your soil and plants hydrated), prevents weeds, provides nutrients back to the soil, and assists with stormwater control.

Where to get compost or mulch:

Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center, 3900 Hebl Ave. SW, Iowa City
- Compost ($20/ton - $2 minimum) and mulch (no cost) available in small or large batch
- Small batch is self-service - bring containers and shovel to load; staff can assist with loading large batches (such as truck or trailer loads)
East Side Recycling Center, 2401 Scott Blvd. SE, Iowa City
- Compost and mulch available (spring, summer, and fall only) in small batch only for 50 cents/5 gallons
- Self-service - bring containers and shovel to load
Lower City Park, 200 Park Road, Iowa City
- Mulch available at no cost
- Self-service - bring containers and shovel to load
Local garden or hardware stores in our area!

Residential Curbside Composting

Curbside composting for yard waste, food waste, and other organic material is available to Iowa City residents living in single-family homes up to 4-unit apartment buildings ($3.50/month on utility bill).

Curbside Composting Guide

To find out which weekday your address receives curbside collection, view the collection map.

Want updates? Sign up to receive curbside notices at icgov.org/subscribe.

What materials can you compost at the curb?

For a print-friendly version of this information, view the Curbside Composting Guide.

Compost these items:

Food waste: coffee grounds, eggshells, bread and grain products, meat and bones, seafood and shells, non-liquid dairy products, fruits and vegetables
- Food and yard waste can be combined in your composting cart (yellow lid).
  - 95-gallon cart (weight limit of 250 pounds), or
  - 25-gallon cart (weight limit of 50 pounds)
- Do not place food in free-standing paper yard waste bags. To reduce mess, you may place food in newspaper, paper bags, or certified-compostable bags (labeled ASTM D6400 or certified-compostable) before placing in cart.
Yard waste: grass, leaves, garden residue, and woody yard waste
- Yard waste can be placed in your composting cart (yellow lid), any brand paper yard waste bags (weight limit of 50 pounds), or bundles (specification requirements below).
  - Tree limbs or woody yard waste
    - Individual pieces (in bundle or container):
      - 4 inches maximum diameter
      - 48 inches maximum length
    - Bundles:
      - 18 inches maximum diameter
      - 48 inches maximum length
      - 50 pounds weight limit per bundle
      - Securely tie each bundle with natural twine or string (no plastic varieties allowed)
    - Any brush not meeting these specifications will be left at the curb.
Other organic material
- Garlic mustard
- Holiday trees (natural, unflocked trees only; remove all decorations)
- Pumpkins and gourds (remove any candles or lights from inside your pumpkins)
- Shredded paper
- Paper towels or napkins
- Pizza boxes
- Coffee filters

Do not compost these items:

Pet waste
Cigarette butts and ashes
Foil- or plastic-coated paper dishware (plates, bowls or cups)
Infected plant material (such as black knot fungus): Bag and place in trash.
Liquids
Plant pots (including plastic, terracotta, or other materials)
Plastic bags, film, or wrap (including soil or mulch bags)
Garden netting or liners
Glass, metal, Styrofoam, or plastic
Hazardous material
Sod, dirt or sand
Rocks
Tree root balls
Painted, treated or stained wood (including particle board)
Dead animals or carcasses

Not sure an item can be composted? Do not compost it! Clean, non-contaminated material is turned into clean, high-quality compost. Material contaminated with the above listed items makes low-quality compost and will not be picked up.

Curbside Customer Best Practices

Follow these guidelines to ensure successful and safe curbside collection.

Do not overfill carts. City ordinance states the lids must be closed.
Place carts at the curb by 7 a.m. on your curbside day.
Place carts on a solid surface for pickup, such as the end of your driveway, or when snow is present, a cleared area of flat ground. Do not place carts on top of snowbanks.
Keep at least 3-feet clear zone around each cart.
Face the arrows on cart lids to street.
Do not paint or write on carts.
Do not remove the carts from home.
Return carts to your storage area at the end of curbside day.
Place carts at the curb only when full.
Only place accepted items in the cart.
No sorting required—food and yard waste can go in the same cart.

Curbside Composting Carts

Sign up for a cart.

Curbside customers can receive 25-gallon or 95-gallon carts for curbside composting collection by Curbside composting carts completing the Cart Request Form. Yard waste and food waste can be added to the same cart for pickup. The first cart is included in the monthly service fee.

Residents are allowed additional carts at a cost of $3.50 per month per cart to cover the cost of the cart and service. Carts will be delivered based on availability and wait times vary. Contact Resource Management at 319-356-5151 for more information.

If a customer determines that an additional cart they had ordered is no longer needed, a pickup can be scheduled for January of the following year. The monthly cart fee will continue to be charged until that time.

Some customers may have received a second cart during the City’s initial delivery efforts. Effective July 1, 2021, these customers will be charged an additional $3.50 per month for the second cart. If the additional carts are no longer needed, please contact customer service at 319-356-5151 to schedule a pickup. This pickup will be scheduled as soon as possible.

Wintertime Curbside Composting Tips

Curbside composting collection continues throughout the winter season.

Tips to reduce organic material from freezing to your curbside cart:

Line your cart with cardboard or newspaper before placing wet yard waste or food waste in cart.
Place food waste in freezer to preserve material. You can place frozen food waste in cart for your curbside collection day, or keep it frozen until temperatures warm up.
Place food waste in paper bags or ASTM D6400-certified compostable bags before placing in cart.
Wait to put your cart at the curb until 7 a.m. on your curbside collection day (if cart is regularly stored indoors).

If you keep your cart outdoors and regularly add food waste (or yard waste such as wet leaves) to it, the material may freeze to the cart. This can cause the materials to stick to the cart during curbside pickup. Material will thaw and loosen when temperatures warm up again.

Food Waste Reduction

When food waste ends up in the landfill, it produces a harmful greenhouse gas called methane that is over 20 times stronger than carbon dioxide. This can impact local air quality and climate change. Composting is a better alternative to landfilling, but it is best not to waste food in the first place.

When we throw away food, we also waste all the water, energy, and natural resources used to produce, package, and transport food from farm to plate.

Check out the Love Food, Fight Waste program, a collaboration between the City of Iowa City and Table to Table, to learn several ways to reduce food waste at home or work.

Are you a restaurant owner wanting to reduce food waste? Check out the ReFed Restaurant Food Waste Action Guide.

Have food that could be donated?

Table to Table is a local non-profit organization that rescues edible food and delivers it to organizations in Johnson County that can use it.

Drop-off Composting Location

Food and yard waste can be dropped off at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center's Compost Facility located at 3900 Hebl Avenue SW, Iowa City. This facility is open from Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Residential: no cost
- Note: Residential yard waste that is hauled by a commercial hauler is considered commercial and will be subject to the commercial fee of $24/ton.
Commercial: $24/ton. Large stumps and stumps with root balls are charged as special waste at $90/ton (Iowa City) and $100/ton (non-Iowa City).

What materials can you compost at the Compost Facility?

Follow these guidelines on accepted items to prevent composting contamination.

Compost these items:

Food waste (such as coffee grounds, eggshells, bread and grain products, meat and bones, seafood and shells, non-liquid dairy products, fruits and vegetables)
Natural wood that has not been painted, treated, or stained (such as natural pallets)
Grass clippings
Leaves
Garden residue
Woody yard waste
Invasive species (such as garlic mustard)
Coffee filters
Compostable items, such as plates and cups, that are certified ASTM D6400 or labeled “certified compostable”
Hair (natural only)
Paper plates and other paper products (uncoated)
Paper towels and napkins
Pizza boxes and paper clamshell containers
Shredded paper and newspaper
Holiday trees (natural, unflocked trees only; remove all decorations)
Pumpkins and gourds (remove any candles or lights from inside your pumpkins)

Do not compost these items:

Sod
Dirt
Rocks
Sand
Particle board
Tree root balls
Infected plant material (such as black knot fungus)
Plant pots (such as terra cotta or plastic)
Garden netting and liners
Painted, treated, or stained wood
Dead animals or carcasses
Animal waste
Liquids
Cigarette butts and ashes
Plastic bags, film, or wrappers (such as soil or mulch bags)
Foil- or plastic-coated paper plates, bowls, or cups
Glass, metal, Styrofoam
Hazardous material

Purchase Compost and Wood Chips

This program is currently out of compost until further notice.

Compost

Compost, made from local yard and food waste, is sold in large or small quantities at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center (3900 Hebl Ave SW, Iowa City). When available, the compost costs $20 per ton with a $2 minimum. Landfill staff can load your truck or trailer with an endloader. For smaller amounts, bring a container and a shovel to self-load.

Small batches of compost are also available at the East Side Recycling Center (2401 Scott Blvd. SE, Iowa City) during spring, summer, and fall for 50 cents per five gallons. This service is not available in winter.

Wood Chips

The Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center (3900 Hebl Ave SW, Iowa City) has coarse-ground wood chip mulch available at no cost. Landfill staff can load your truck or trailer, including semi trailers. For small quantities, bring your own container and a pitchfork or shovel to self-load.

Small batches of wood chips are also available at the East Side Recycling Center (2401 Scott Blvd. SE, Iowa City) during spring, summer, and fall for 50 cents per five gallons. This service is not available in winter.

Apartment and Business Composting

At-Home Composting

Residential Kitchen Food Scraps Containers

Iowa City curbside customers that would like a 2-gallon kitchen food scraps container can pick one up at the City Hall Cashier office in City Hall (410 E. Washington St.) during regular business hours.

These containers are not to be put at the curb and should be used for kitchen collection only. Materials collected can be emptied into your composting cart.
To help keep this container clean, use newspaper, or ASTM D6400 or certified-compostable bags to contain the food scraps.

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