Backyard Composting

We are committed to providing residents easy and affordable access to composting resources and education in order to achieve greater diversion of organics entering the landfill.

Compost Bin Voucher Program

The Compost Bin Voucher Program is year-round and provides City of San Diego residents with a discount on one of three styles of compost bins. One voucher per household, proof of residency required, while supplies last. The Compost Bin Voucher Program is only for residential home use. We are not accepting application requests from schools, non-profit organizations, businesses or other entities.

NOTICE: Please be advised that our program vendor, Dixieline Lumber & Home Center, is experiencing delays in compost bin shipments from suppliers. Applicants will be placed on a waitlist until bins are available.

Applications can be picked up at a Dixieline Lumber and Home Center location within City limits or through this link Compost Bin Voucher Application (Online Form) or Printable Compost Bin Voucher Application.

Review our Compost Bin Feature Overview to help you decide which compost bin is a good fit for your home.

Soil-saver compost bin composting bin for vermicomposting (worms) Tumbling compost bin

Master Composter Course & FREE Workshops

Visit our Calendar of Events page to sign up for a FREE upcoming workshop, or find out when our annual Master Composter Course takes place.

Guides & Supplies

Learn how to make your own compost by reading our helpful guides. A compost bin can be acquired through our compost bin voucher program, but can also be made from materials found around the house or by purchasing materials from a local supplier.

Compost bins and piles are high in nutrients that can cause bacteria to grow in our stormwater system. Be sure to protect compost piles and bins from runoff with berms or other preventive measures to stop contaminated water from reaching the storm drain system and local waterways.

Composting with Kids

Composting is a great place to start to engage little ones in learning more about the soil beneath our feet, how plants and the food we eat grows and how to prevent waste with proper sorting knowledge. Here are some fun activities for young environmental stewards!

Printable Activity Sheets

What Goes Where - Learn what goes into the compost, recycling or landfill bins by carefully cutting along the dotted outline of each of the cutouts.
Wormy Ways Maze - Help the worm friend make their way to their compost bin home with this maze!
Wormy Words - Learn about the process of composting and the various techniques and types with these three levels word searches.

Instructional Videos

Need Assistance

Do you need free help or have questions getting started with your new compost bin or have issues composting at home?

Contact our composting expert partner, Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, and get all your questions answered!

Call the Rotline at 760-436-7986 Ext. 700
Email compost@solanacenter.org
Click here to schedule a free 30-minute virtual technical assistance consultation with a Solana Center Composting Educator

Recycling Programs

Seen Being Green

“Our family was grateful to discover the City of San Diego had a program to make compost bins cheaper. We don't have a huge backyard, but we know how important it is to keep compostables out of landfills and wanted to do our part. Plus, we wanted to have nutritious food for the plants in our little garden boxes! The kids have especially enjoyed taking our little bowl of compostables (vegetable trimmings, eggshells) out to dump in the bin and collecting some leaves (this is San Diego, so we don't have many) to put in the bin. Even my one-year-old thinks it's fun to pick up green waste around the yard and throw it in. We are glad to do more to be stewards of our earth!”

City of San Diego resident –
Jana G.

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