Allied Waste
Customer Service
(916) 635-2500
City of Elk Grove
Integrated Waste
(916) 478-2289
City of Elk Grove
Business Recycling
(916) 627-3431
City of Elk Grove
Utilities Billing Division
(916) 478-3642
Waste and Recycling
Composting
Basic Composting
Composting is nature’s way of recycling organic matter such as leaves, grass clippings, prunings, barnyard manures, and food scraps. A backyard composting system can be set up to handle plant debris and food scraps, and the resulting compost can be used as a soil amendment in the garden.
More information on composting can be 
downloaded here.
Basic Composting Workshops
available to Elk Grove Residents
Elk Grove residents can learn about the benefits and techniques of basic composting at workshops conducted each spring and fall by the City of Elk Grove in partnership with the Elk Grove Community Garden.
Each attendee will receive a free starter composting bin at the workshop and free compost will also be available for participants to take home. More deluxe compost bins will be available for purchase at the workshop at a reduced cost.
2012 Basic Composting Workshop Dates:
TBA
Worm Composting
Worm Composting is a method of composting food scraps that utilizes roughly a thousand or more red worms, a box or bin, and some bedding. Red worms will happily eat leftover food scraps and will provide nutrient-rich worm castings (worm poop) in return. Worm castings are a great fertilizer for use in the garden or on houseplants.
More information on worm composting can be
downloaded here.
A list of worm composting resources can be downloaded here.
Instructions for making your own worm bin can be downloaded here.
Mulch and Grasscycling
Nearly 30 million tons of compostable organic material ends up in California landfills each year. This wasted organic material generates methane gas at the landfills and contributes to global climate change.
Organic material, such as plant debris and food scraps, can be recycled by mulching, grasscycling, and/or composting.
Mulch is typically chopped or shredded tree prunings that are spread on top of the soil to hold moisture in the soil and to keep weeds down. Mulch can also be used for pathways.
Grasscycling is a method of returning grass clippings to the soil when mowing the lawn.
Compost is a beneficial soil amendment for use in the garden. It can be added to the top of the soil as a mulch, or it can be worked into the soil when preparing a garden area or planting.
More information on mulching, grasscycling, and composting can be downloaded here.
ADD MULCH AND/OR COMPOST TO YOUR GARDEN (FREE FOR ELK GROVE RESIDENTS):
Coffee Grounds for Your Garden or Compost
Coffee grounds are available for free from Peet’s Coffee & Tea for your garden or compost. (Check also with other purveyors of coffee in the Elk Grove community, as they may also give them away for free.) Coffee grounds are a valuable source of nutrition for your garden and are an excellent source of nitrogen to fuel your compost pile or worm bin. More information can be downloaded here.
River-Friendly Landscaping
River-Friendly Landscaping is a whole systems approach to gardening and landscaping that works to support the integrity of one of California’s key ecosystems, the Sacramento River watershed. The 7 principles of River-Friendly Landscaping work together to foster soil health, conserve water and other valuable resources, reduce waste, and prevent pollution of our air and waterways.
Landscape locally- Landscape for less to the landfill
- Nurture the soil
- Conserve water
- Conserve energy
- Protect water & air quality
- Create & protect wildlife habitat
Download these River-Friendly Landscape publications:
Learn more about River-Friendly Landscaping at www.riverfriendly.org.
Click here to download reader.
Last updated: 11/23/11 12:20 PM
