Happy Composters

Need to change your billing info? Go to our member portal below

Are you moving, switching emails, or canceling? Please email Adrienne or Ryan at info @ happytrashcan.net and we can do that for you.

Questions on all things Compost? Check out our FAQ and our Best Practices sections below

FAQ

Contamination

  • There is no magic “away” process; we hand-sort everything we collect. Please follow our guidelines and remove all plastic, stickers, twisties and more from your bucket, and see more below in our bucket-list section.

Extra Waste & Special Pickups

  • Extra bags or full buckets: $4 each per pickup.

  • Need a second bucket? + $5 per month.

  • Emergency pickup for forgotten buckets: $8, depending on location.

  • Free 24/7 drop-off is available. See the welcome email for details.

Yard Waste & Seasonal Items

  • Yard waste in compostable bags: $2 per bag (under 5 lbs). Must confirm no herbicides used.

  • Pumpkins: Free if they fit in the bucket. Extra pumpkins cost $3-$5 each. Large hauls require special pickup.

  • Christmas tree pickup: $15-$20 by request.

Bucket Care & Placement

  • Keep a weight on the lid to prevent loss. Replacement buckets cost $10, and they are refundable if found.

  • Apartment residents should label buckets with name and unit number. Avoid placing near dumpsters.

  • Buckets must be curbside or in a designated pickup spot. No porch pickups unless arranged.

Bucket Cleaning & Liners

  • Request a washed bucket via email before pickup day.

  • We clean buckets with water and a scrub brush outdoors.

  • Compostable liners are provided with each pickup.

  • Rinse and dry your bucket before adding a new liner.

Finished Compost

  • Free compost distribution resumes in April 2025—watch for an email.

  • Bulk compost is available by the cubic yard—email to reserve before it sells out! Members get special discounted pricing.

Bucket List

Help keep our stream clean!

We hand-process all compost, so please keep non-compostable items out.

  • Only compostable items accepted. No plastics, fruit stickers, rubber bands, twist ties, candy wrappers, or bio-solids.

  • All food scraps accepted, including meat, dairy, fats, and butter. Greasy items should be wrapped in a napkin or compostable container.

  • If unsure about an item, email or send a photo.

What We Accept:

  • All food scraps, including fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, fats, butter, and sauces

  • Compostable packaging (must say "compostable" on the label)

What We Don't Accept:

  • Plastic, rubber bands, twist ties, fruit stickers

  • Polyester tea bags, candy wrappers, conventional packaging

  • Bio-solids, diapers and pet waste

Keep grease contained in a napkin or compostable container to make cleaning easier.

If you're unsure about an item, email or send us a photo. If a restaurant you love doesn’t use compostable to-go ware, let us know and we can help.

Drop-Off Questions

Find our member access info in your welcome email.

Proper drop-off etiquette is essential to continue our program. No bins are permitted to be overfilled at any time. No pizza boxes, pumpkins, or yard waste. Only food scraps and 5-gallons per week.

We service our drop-off stations 3x per week, and not on the weekends. If the bins are too full, please come back soon and they will be ready for dumping every other day Monday-Friday.

Our pay-what-you-can system is dependent on an honor system. Folks who can pay our suggested $10 per month do so in order to help out those who can’t.