Summer, summer, summertime! The sun is out, the birds are chirping, the days are longer and your organic scraps are getting…warmer. Don’t worry, we have a few tips to help keep your bins clean, reduce odors and keep unwanted guests away throughout the season. While we do the dirty work of picking up, sifting through and composting your food scraps, there are steps you can take to keep the process working smoothly. Check out these warm weather composting tips!
Keep your scraps indoors
To avoid having your food scraps spend too much time in the heat, store your scraps indoors throughout the week – especially those particularly pungent ones. Grab a kitchen caddy, indoor waste can, reusable silicone bags, or tupperware to hold your scraps until it’s time to pass them off to us.
Freeze
Meat, dairy, seafood, shells
Refrigerate
Veggie scraps, cooked food, fruit peels
Countertop Bin
Egg shells, coffee grounds, paper towels, napkins
Our drivers get on the road as early as 3:00 AM, so it’s best to place your bin out the night before your scheduled pick-up to avoid a missed collection.
Determine which bin is best
During summer break, the kids are home and the weather permits more opportunities for family gatherings, increasing the amount of food waste in your Compost Crew bin. Please make sure all of those organic scraps fit inside of your bin. If you find your bin is constantly being overfilled, there are a few routes you can take:
Residential
- Upgrade to a 12-gallon bin. For an extra $7 per month, you can get almost double the capacity for food scraps. Switch your plan on the customer portal.
- Request an “overflow pickup” from the Shop in our customer portal. The overflow service has a one-time fee of $5 that will be added to your cart for checkout. After you have made the request, leave the extra compostable materials in a secured bin and/or compostable bag right next to your Compost Crew collection bin the night before collection day. Please make sure this bin and/or bag is clearly labeled to help us keep our drivers safe and sure of what waste to throw into our trucks
Commercial
During the hot summer months, it makes sense to get more frequent service. Emptying your bins more often reduces the amount of time the food scraps sit out in the heat. Contact your Commercial Sales Representative to get a quote for more frequent pick-ups.
Look for a shady spot
While your bin should be at the curb for pick-up, we recommend choosing a sheltered or shady spot on your property where your Compost Crew bin can reside during the week. When your bin, along with a week’s worth of food scraps, sits out in direct sunlight for hours on end it can reach temperatures as hot as the compost piles at our Compost Outpost! Without a mixture of carbon feedstock and constant turning, an unpleasant smell could arise when your bin is opened.
Wait, smell? Will that attract unwelcome guests?
Luckily, our bins are more secure than your usual trash bin. We offer a variety of bin types, all secured through latches or a screw-top lid. These bins help to deter rodents and other unwanted pests. Before diverting your food scraps into a compost bin, these scraps were left outside in a trash receptacle that had thinner plastic, no seal, no latches and maybe even no lid! From our residential to commercial services, Compost Crew uses bins and bags that are designed for food scraps.
Yet, there are a few unwelcomed guests that may sneak into your compost bin. These guests may include bugs that enjoy the delicious taste of the sugar or corn-based biodegradable bags. Remember, bugs in your bin aren’t so bad because these little critters are essential to compost!
Neutralize odor inside of your bin
Coffee grounds
For all of you coffee enthusiasts out there, this one’s for you! Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which neutralizes odors. We accept both your coffee grounds and even the coffee filter!
Baking soda
Instead of masking odors, baking soda absorbs them, neutralizing odors that may lurk in your bins.
Clean your bin between pick-ups
Make a habit of wiping or hosing down your bins after pick-up to help keep your bin clean.
Spray your Bin…
Diluted vinegar with water OR diluted dish soap with water
Then wipe your bin…
Reusable rag- Reduce!
Old t-shirt – Reuse!
Paper towel – Recycle it in your compost bin!
…or just hose it down
This option puts some distance between you and your bin if it gets packed with food scrap residue. When clean, dump the excess water out in your grass for a quick drink. The grass will love it during the summer.
If you have any other questions, refer to our FAQ page or reach out to us at info@compostcrew.com. Have any compost-related questions? Email compost@compostcrew.com. Happy Composting!
