WASTE REDUCTION
Green Actions

Food waste accounts for 40% of total residential waste. Whatever we can compost is diverted from the waste stream and instead enriches the soil and leads to healthier plants, creating more food and sequestering carbon.


COMPOSTING ACTIONS

There are different options for Beverly residents and businesses who want to compost. They vary by convenience, what they will take and cost. Common questions are answered in our Compost FAQs.

  • (for a fee) curbside pickup: three companies pick up curbside compost in Beverly; one of them, Black Earth, is a Green Beverly sponsor

  • (currently free) register to drop off at Beverly’s city compost site

  • (free after setup) backyard compost, best suited for large yards (more info or ask a coach)

  • indoor (worm composting)

  • yard waste only: drop off yard waste at the collection site at 16 Standley Street; remember NOT to compost invasive species

    (not a Beverly resident? check your town’s website for composting options)

RELATED ACTIONS

  • use biodegradable trash bags (available at Unpacked Living, a Green Beverly sponsor)

  • learn what can (and shouldn’t) be composted for each of the above composting options

  • show everyone in your household where compost items go

  • in your home, post a list showing which items can be composted, which can be recycled curbside, which should be set aside for special collection, and what must go in the trash

  • make a conscious effort to compost everything you can; like all new habits, this takes time and repetition but some of the rewards are immediate (like much less smelly garbage!)

other actions

RECYCLE BEVERLY

OTHER STUFF

Have a specific question about composting or recycling?
Ask a Coach

Want to suggest another action? Email us

More than 2 billion tons of topsoil in the U.S. are lost to erosion every year. Compost can significantly reduce erosion due to human development, wind, and drought. (EPA)