Compost

Compost Pledge

Join us in making a positive impact on our environment! Sign the Compost Pledge today and commit to reducing waste, enriching our soil, and creating a greener community. Together, we can turn food scraps into fertile soil, one compost bin at a time. Take the pledge now and be a part of the change! #LoveManchesterLiveGreen

Home Composting

Every Spring, the Town of Manchester organizes a compost bin and rain barrel sale. Click the PDF below or visit www.manchester.compostersale.com for more information. 

 (PDF, 3MB)

Grass Clippings

Grass can be bagged and collected at the curb as part of the bagged yard waste collection program, which runs from Mid-March through the following mid-January, for 10 months each year. Bags cannot exceed 40 pounds per bag.

Mulching Mowers are now widely available. These mowers have a special blade which re-cuts the clippings into tiny pieces which will decompose right in your lawn. This process helps to retain moisture in the lawn and return nutrients to the ground. These mowers reduce the need for fertilizers and watering, while saving you time which might have been spent raking and bagging the clippings.

Backyard composting is a good solution for grass. Home composting units are available from hardware stores, lawn and garden centers, and mail order catalogs, or you can easily construct a unit yourself. Grass, garden and yard waste, and organic kitchen waste are all compostable in your own backyard. By next growing season, you will have your own source of compost for your gardens.

Garden Mulching is another good use for grass from your lawn. Placing a thin layer of mowed grass between the rows in your garden or around plants and shrubs will help to retain moisture, reduce fertilizer requirements, and reduce weeds. When Spring arrives and lawn mowing begins, try some of these alternatives. They'll help your gardens and lawns.

Food Waste Drop-Off Pilot

Information about drop-off locations, what's accepted, what happens to the food waste, and how to sign-up. (Sign-up will be through the same form as the compost pledge.)

Residential Food Waste Pick-Up

Residents can choose to pay for pick-up of food waste in exchange for delivery of compost through Blue Earth. Promote the compost pledge here.

Leaf/Yard Waste Collection and Compost

Through the miracle of Mother Nature (and with a little help from the employees in the Sanitation Division), leaves are turned into rich, organic compost in 3-6 months. Temperature and moisture are the two main factors that determine how quickly the leafy materials break down. Compost is a great mulch for flower beds and gardens and can also be used as a soil amendment. Compost is available for sale at the Landfill at 311 Olcott Street.

Compost is available for sale during the hours of 7:15 - 2:30, Tuesday through Saturday.

Compost is FREE for all Manchester Residents.

Manchester residents may pick-up free compost at the transfer station by showing proof of Manchester residency (Driver's License). Compost pick-up is self-service, you will need to bring your own containers, gloves & shovel. 

For non Manchester residents, the rates for compost are based on container or truck size.
$1.00 per 30 gallons approximately the size of a trash can/paper leaf bag.
$10.00 for small pickup truck load – 6ft.
$15.00 for large pickup truck load -- 8ft.

It’s self-serve; you will need a shovel or a way of loading your receptacle.

Find more information about pick-up/drop-off of leaves and yard waste at the Residential Collection and Transfer Station webpages.