Home composting enables us to take our vegetative food scraps, leaves, and landscape clippings and create an incredible soil amendment called compost.

Compost provides the stabilized organic matter needed to create healthy soil which provide a balance of air, water, and nutrient levels that improve the health of our plants.

Composting can be practiced almost anywhere…in your backyard, at work or at school. All you need to get started is a little bit of space, the basic ingredients, and an understanding of the process.

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Composting Workshops

Sundays 11:30 - 12:00 p.m. at The Living Coast Discovery Center

The City of Chula Vista provides workshops to learn from experts on how to create incredible compost in your backyard!

You'll discover the many different methods of home composting and understand how compost improves the soil while reducing water use.

Workshops offered in Spanish and English on the first Sunday of the month.

Chula Vista residents can receive free admission to the Living Coast on select Sundays! Click here to sign up.

For more information please call (619) 409-5900 or email Katharine@thelivingcoast.org

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Master Composter Course 

Become a certified Master Composter!

No experience needed. The Master Composter Training provides hands on experience in the multiple methods of composting and teaches the importance of building healthy soils through presentations, “lab” work, and field trips.

The FREE seven-week course covers the traditional “hot” composting method, vermicomposting, and others.

A certified Master Composter can share their experience and knowledge within the community through workshops and community events after attending the course and completing an additional 30 volunteer hours of related community service.

Sign up for the Master Composter class today to get updates about future courses or contact us for more information: environmentalservices@chulavistaca.gov | (619) 691-5122.

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Compost Bins for Chula Vista Residents

Soil Saver compost bins are available for $35 to Chula Vista residents that have attended one of the City's composting/less toxic gardening workshops or the Master Composter Course.

Size: 28" x 28" x 34"

$35.00 (Chula Vista Residents)

Compost bins are available at the Living Coast Discovery Center after the in-person workshops.

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FREE Composting Events

Republic Services provides Free compost to Chula Vista Residents three times per year at the Otay Landfill, Customer Convenience Area at 1700 Maxwell Road.

Event schedule for 2024:

❑ January 27^th

❑ March 30^th

❑ August 31^st

❑ November 2^nd

All events are on Saturdays from 8am – 12pm.

Don't forget to bring your shovel, containers, and tarps.

For more information, call 619-691-5122.

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Save Money on Your Trash Bill

 By recycling and composting, you may be able to downsize your trash cart – the smaller the cart, the less it costs! To change your trash cart size, call 619-421-9400. Republic Services will deliver a new cart to your house at no extra cost.

Resources:

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/homecompost

Cornell University - Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities
https://blogs.cornell.edu/healthysoils/compost/

County of San Diego County
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/dpw/recycling/composting.html

The Rodale Institute Composting Cheat Sheet
https://rodaleinstitute.org/blog/backyard-composting-basics-a-cheatsheet/

Solana Center for Environmental Innovation
https://solanacenter.org/soil-regeneration/