Free compost available
Is your soil in need of nutrient replenishment to support your dream garden? You are in luck! There are two ways to get free compost:
- Free compost giveaway almost every month
- Free compost available daily year-round at the Shoreway Environmental Center
Residents can pick up free compost while supplies last. No appointment is necessary.
Please bring your own shovels, gloves and containers to fill.
Shoreway Environmental Center compost pickup
Menlo Park residents are welcome to pick up free compost daily year-round at the Shoreway Environmental Center, located at 333 Shoreway Road (Gate 1) in San Carlos. The center is open weekdays from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. and on weekends from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Visitors must wear masks or face coverings and follow San Mateo County's social distancing protocols while on site.
Proof of residency is required. Residents are allowed two 50-lb bags of compost each week and the limit is two bags per visit. Bags and shovels are provided, but visitors must load the compost themselves.
For more information, please contact the Shoreway Environmental Center.
Compost giveaway events
The City typically hosts compost giveaways events in the summer. This compost comes from your residential green organic carts at home and at work. The food scraps collected from the green carts are sent to two commercial composting facilities where it goes through a process where it breaks down back into a soil-like product, also known as finished compost. The finished compost is a helpful soil amendment, jam-packed full of nutrients, which is great for gardens and landscaping projects.
To make high-quality compost, please keep plastics out of the green compost carts and bins. To request free kitchen pail, please contact Recology at 650-595-3900 or learn how to compost at home.
Please visit the citywide calendar for more information on location and dates.