Composting turns everyday waste into a valuable soil amendment, making it a simple yet impactful step toward sustainability. This guide covers why it matters, its benefits, home options, and the city's partnership with Black Earth Compost—plus how to get started.
Why Composting Matters and Its Benefits
Composting diverts organic waste like food scraps from landfills and incinerators, reducing methane and carbon dioxide emissions—key greenhouse gases. In Massachusetts, organics make up more than a fifth of solid waste, so composting eases pressure on disposal systems and conserves resources. Benefits include up to 40% less household trash, cost savings on city waste disposal, improved soil health for gardens, and better stormwater management in our coastal community. It also supports local farms and, by removing food waste from trash, eliminates a food supply for rats and other rodents, which can reduce the city's pest-management costs.
Home Composting Options
Hands-on, home composting is straightforward but requires some work. Use a rodent-proof backyard bin, such as a compost tumbler, which prevents rodents from accessing it. Build your pile with a mix of "greens" (food scraps, grass) and "browns" (leaves, cardboard), turning occasionally for aeration. Head to the City’s Department of Public Works at 55 Sea Street to buy a backyard bin for just $25. If you don’t have a yard, you can compost indoors.
Quincy's Partnership with Black Earth Compost
Photo Credit: Blackearth Composting Website
If you’d prefer to outsource your composting, the City of Quincy partners with Black Earth Compost for curbside pickup. This subscription service handles a wide range of items, including meat, dairy, and soiled paper, turning them into compost for local use. Residents get a free starter kit, and group sign-ups can yield discounts. Plus, the more Quincy residents who sign up, the lower the cost becomes for each household through their density discount program—reaching 300 households unlocks up to 14% off for all.
Getting Started with Black Earth
**Check and Sign Up**: Visit blackearthcompost.com or bit.ly/QTAcompost, enter your Quincy address, and choose a plan (weekly or bi-weekly, with bin options.
**Prepare Scraps**: Use compostable bags for organics; see their acceptance list.
**Collection**: Place your bin curbside by 6 AM on pickup day—they'll handle the rest.
**Perks**: Get a free bag of compost in spring and manage your account online. Email for group discounts.
Composting in Quincy is easy and rewarding—whether at home or via Black Earth. Start today at quincyma.gov or blackearthcompost.com to reduce waste and help our community. Black Earth offers a 20% discount on subscription fees for all participants once 300 households in Quincy sign up for the program. As of March 2024, 206 households were enrolled, so the discount threshold has not yet been reached.
