Gardening & Composting

Gardening & Composting

Gardening & Composting Seen Being Green! Composting Program Underway Did you know that more than 40% of residential waste is compostable? For every 10 pounds of food waste that you compost instead of sending to the landfill, 9 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided. Additionally, by adding one 1 pound of compost to 99 pounds of regular soil, you can increase the material's water holding capacity by 33 pounds, or about 4 gallons. Composting can also help stop red tides, algae blooms, and fish die-offs by providing an alternative to synthetic fertilizers that can run off into our waterways. As a certified Green City, Hollywood's Sustainability Action Plan includes implementing a composting pilot program to encourage residents to compost food and yard waste. The pilot program launched in August 2024. You can choose to drop off your compost at a drop-off station or have your material picked up bi-weekly or weekly. If you participate in the pick-up program, your bin will be swapped with a clean, empty bin every pick-up day. What to Compost Accepted: Compostable products, tree mulch, shredded paper, cardboard, wood shavings, dry leaves, paper products, kelp & seaweed, fruits and vegetables, grass clippings, fish waste, coffee grounds, meat and bones. Items NOT accepted: Stickers, plastic, animal waste, toxic materials, and coated paper. How the Program Works Step 1: Sign up for the Community Composting Program for weekly or biweekly home pick-up or drop-off at a local station. Step 2: Receive the Renuable bucket and airtight lid. Step 3: Fill the bin with compostable materials. Step 4: Set out bucket for pick up or drop it off at a composting station. Program Costs Hollywood residents can get 50% off their composting subscription (while supply lasts) sponsored by the City. Just use coupon code "hollywood50" at checkout. Drop Off Station Membership $10/month per resident (stations open for drop off 24 hours/day, 7 days/week). Bi-weekly Valet Pickup Membership $14.50/month per resident (bin swapped every other week). Weekly Valet Pickup Membership $19.50/month per resident (bin swapped weekly). Low Input Gardening Low-input gardening methods reduce the amount of water, fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide needed to grow and maintain plants. People who use these techniques spend less time, money and effort producing healthy, abundant harvests while supporting native habitat and our pollinators. Low-input gardening helps close the loop on resource use. Food scraps from the kitchen can be used to make compost that feeds the plants. Yard waste can be added to the compost or used as mulch to conserve water and protect the soil, improving plant health and vigor. Anyone can use these methods, even for patio and container gardening. See the presentation slides from the joint Low Input Gardening workshop for residents of the Cities of Hollywood and Hallandale Beach, held on December 15, 2019, to learn more.