The network is open to publicly accessible spaces, including but not limited to community gardens, urban farms, places of worship, schools, recreation centers, public parks, and other neighborhood civic groups. This year Farm Philly will prioritize neighborhoods that are not adjacent to existing Community Compost Network sites in an effort to ensure equitable distribution of resources across the city.
Once accepted into the network, sites will receive all of the necessary supplies including thermometers, wheelbarrows, shovels, and more to run a successful compost operation, completely free of charge. Farm Philly seeks enthusiastic partners interested in collaborating with residents to provide a valuable public resource to their neighborhoods.
To qualify for participation, applicants must be willing to accept food scraps at their site and/or local neighborhood and assemble a dedicated team of volunteers committed to expanding this grassroots network. Each site will determine how they want to manage members and accept and process food waste on-site.
The Community Compost Network is a program that supports composting efforts at 19 sites across the City. The sites include community gardens, farms, and schools where residents are invited to compost their food and yard waste. Farm Philly provides the network sites with a 3-bin composting system, educational materials, hands-on and virtual training, and all of the tools and supplies needed to run a compost operation, at no cost for participants. The program collaborates with PowerCorpsPHL to construct the bins, and with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance for educational materials and training.
Parks & Recreation launched the Community Compost Network in 2019, modeled after a similar program at the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation. This type of grassroots approach to reducing waste is having a direct impact on neighborhoods and landfills, and is making a new resource from which residents can benefit. Residents in the Network are actively reducing the amount of waste going to landfill, and directly contributing to the City’s litter free and recycling goals.
This rodent-proof, 3-bin compost system is designed for its durability, large size, and modular nature. This system is composed of a series of 4’ x 4’ bins. In the 3-bin design, the overall footprint of the system is 4’ x 12’.
Constructing the bins this modular way provides participants the option of adding additional bins. For those that would like to build their own compost bins, check out this Vancouver Bin Guide also available in Spanish.
Parks & Rec utilized the Compost Knox system (not currently open source) designed by the firm Urban Farm Plans.
To find a Community Compost Network site near you, interact with the map.
*Please be sure to check each site’s access information. Some sites are only open to members. Others are open for drop-off once a week. For more details, use the contact information provided at the top of each entry.
Our friends at the West Philly Tool Library have partnered with Bennett Compost to offer a free drop off program during regular hours.
The drop off bin is directly outside the door at 1314 S 47th Street and is labeled with “Compostable Materials Only”. For more information, contact info@westphillytools.org.