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FREE COMPOST PROGRAM

THE COMPOST HUB IS CLOSED UNTIL 2027. THE HUB LOCATION IS BEING USED FOR A HOLIDAY TREE LOT. PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES IN JANUARY 2027.

RecycleSmart provides free compost at our Free Compost Hub in partnership with Republic Services and the City of Walnut Creek.

The Free Compost Hub is located at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek (see address and driving directions below). Residents residing in the following RecycleSmart cities and towns can access the Free Compost Hub: 

  • Walnut Creek
  • Orinda
  • Lafayette
  • Moraga
  • Danville
  • Unincorporated Central Contra Costa (Alamo, Blackhawk, Diablo)

The Free Compost Hub is accessible 24-7 at Heather Farm Park located at 301 N. San Carlos Drive in Walnut Creek. This is a community park open to the public. No appointments necessary. Residents can drive up to the hub and shovel compost at a time that is most convenient for your schedule! We do not have staff on site to help you. This is a self-help compost pile.  

Drive directly up to the compost pile to load compost. Loading equipment is not provided. Compost pickup is made available at your own risk.

Driving directions in the park: When you drive into Heather Farm Park on N. San Carlos, the hub is located in the first parking lot entrance on your right. The compost hub is located towards the back of the parking lot in a gated enclosure, sitting against Ygnacio Valley.

If you have questions about the compost hub, please reach out to RecycleSmart at (925) 906-1801 or authority@recyclesmart.org.  

  • October 2026 – Republic Services will drop off compost once per month by the FIRST SATURDAY MONTHLY and it will be available daily until gone.
  • The free compost is first come, first-served, and RecycleSmart cannot guarantee or confirm availability of compost.
  • RecycleSmart residents may take up to 50-gallons of compost (e.g. ten 5-gallon buckets). Please honor these guidelines so that compost can be made available to the community.  
  • To pick up compost, you should bring your own shovels, containers, and safety gear to load the material yourself. Pickup trucks must tarp their loads.
Compost is made from green cart organic materials such as yard trimmings, food scraps, and uncoated food-soiled paper, collected and processed by Republic Services. The organic materials are brought to a commercial composting facility where they are converted into a highly aerobic, microbial compost. The compost making process involves the careful mixing of the organic materials and monitoring of the carbon to nitrogen ratio, CO2, temperature, and moisture.

Benefits of Using Compost:

  • Compost returns nutrients to the soil, such as phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and many trace minerals, which are slowly released and contribute to healthy plant growth.
  • Compost is a natural fertilizer.
  • Compost suppresses weed growth and the improved soil condition makes it more difficult for weeds to anchor roots.
  • Compost helps control erosion and protects plant roots from sun and wind damage.
  • Compost increases water retention.
  • Compost helps reduce soil diseases.

Compost Information:

  • Yard trimmings, food scraps & uncoated food-soiled paper from your green organics cart are turned into compost at our commercial composting facility in Manteca, CA.
  • Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) certified through US Composting Council (tested for pathogens, heavy metals, nutrients etc.), regularly tested by 3rd party.
  • CA Dept. of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) certified as an Organic Input Material (OIM)
  • Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) listed/certified: https://www.omri.org
  • To apply compost, mix with soil. Start with one part native soil to one part compost but it depends on what you’re growing.
  • To apply compost, mix with soil. Start with one part native soil to one part compost but it depends on what you’re growing.
  • Check out www.recyclesmart.org/composting for resources on how to compost in your own backyard.