Curbside Composting

Please find Newburyport's complete guide to composting here. 

In Newburyport, we have self-pay subscriptions ($1.89 per week) with one vendor, Black Earth Compost.  

To sign up, go to: https://blackearthcompost.com/.

Black Earth can also be reached at blackearthcompost@gmail.com or office@blackearthcompost.com. 

KNOW BEFORE YOU THROW
(Courtesy of Black Earth Compost)
 

This is a friendly reminder of some of the contaminants we find in the compost bins. Please do your best to toss in food scraps and acceptable compostable items only. Thank you.

Top 5 Contaminants

1. GROCERY STORE PRODUCE BAGS
   99 out of 100 times these are plastic - even the green ones disguised as a certified compostable bag are plastic and should stay out.
2. FOOD PACKAGING
   Please take the extra step of removing your food from the packaging before tossing it in the bin.
3. TAKE OUT CONTAINERS
   These must be certified compostable to go in the bin. We know this is tricky because of the lack of clear labeling on the containers. You can check your packaging on the BPI website. When in doubt toss it out.
4. FRUIT STICKERS
   These little suckers are plastic and the hardest to screen from the compost so we've created a game to make removing them fun. Give it a try.
5. DOG AND HUMAN DOO-DOO
   While theoretically compostable, we do not accept them, including compostable diapers.

Pizza Box Policy

Black Earth Compost will NO longer accept pizza boxes for composting. Did you know that pizza boxes are recyclable? There is a misconception that pizza boxes are not accepted for recycling but this is not the case as most recyclers accept pizza boxes with minimal cheese and grease stains. We recommend recycling your pizza boxes as this is the best end use.

Black Earth Compost Only Accepts Certified Compostable Serviceware

Don't be fooled. The terms biodegradable, omnidegradable, biobase, plant based, recyclable, or even compostable do not mean a product is certified compostable. Packaging and serviceware must be certified compostable by a third party to go in your compost bin. This ensures the material does not contain harmful chemicals, like PFAS. We accept third party certification by BPI, TUV, OK Compost and CMA. Look for their labels.

Produce Stickers

Please be sure to take stickers off of your produce before throwing your leftovers in the compost.

Black Earth Compost has more tips on becoming an expert composter and all the details on what you can and can not compost on their website.