ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg's free residential compost bin program is returning on Earth Day this Saturday.
The program will be free and available to single-family residential customers to help residents reduce food waste and turn it into nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Originally introduced in 2019, the program was put on hold in 2022 to allow the city of St. Pete to modify the program based on feedback from users. With the return, the city is introducing more resources to help participating residents be more successful with composting.
"Composting can seem daunting at first, and our new educational workshops are designed to set customers up for success with how-to instructions, troubleshooting and more," Sanitation Director Willie Joseph said in a statement. "We want to provide all the tools we can to enable our residents to live sustainably and do their part to reduce household waste."
The program will now require residents to attend an in-person educational workshop before they receive their compost bins. During the first year of the program, feedback showed residents wanted more education and resources.
In order to receive a compost bin, St. Pete residents will have to sign up for the composting workshop first. That's where the compost bin will be distributed.
"The City does not provide compost collection service, but the user will reap the benefits of the resulting nutrient-rich compost by spreading it on their lawn or garden," the city said in on its website.
The city of St. Pete has a waste reduction goal set to be achieved by 2050. For more tips on how you can reduce personal waste, click here.