City of San Diego Free Compost and Mulch

From Food to Soil… and Back to Food Again…

In this age of modern convenience where food is found wrapped in plastic, labeled with bar codes, and bought with paper currency, it’s easy to forget where our food comes from. The food we eat every day originates not from supermarkets and restaurants, but from seeds, healthy soil, water, and sunlight. Many San Diegans have taken to gardening to reconnect with their food, save money, and beautify their yards. High-quality plants start with high-quality soil, and the City of San Diego provides free compost and 4-inch mulch for City of San Diego residents, to help your soil become rich and fertile so you can grow high-quality fruits and veggies this year.

What is compost?

Compost is a nutrient-rich soil amendment created by the breakdown of organic material (food scraps & yard trimmings)  by microorganisms, which results in high heat that significantly reduces or eliminates pathogens, weed seeds, and herbicides and pesticides. It can be applied to gardens and landscaping to help build healthy soil.  Applying compost also helps with moisture retention and erosion control.

Another Case for Composting

Composting helps to build healthy soils, but it also helps to fight climate change related to waste. Did you know that around 40% of discarded waste is organic waste? Composting our organic waste ensures that the nutrients and organic matter are recycled back into our soil and does not end up in the landfill, where it would create methane, a potent greenhouse gas. According to the EPA, methane is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, and an estimated 58% of methane emissions from landfills is from landfilled food waste.  Diverted organic waste can also help extend the lifetime of our current landfills, which are rapidly running out of space. For residents who have access to green curbside organic bins or dumpsters in compliance with SB 1383, it has never been easier to turn yard trimmings, food scraps, and food-soiled paper into an environmental benefit.

Where to Obtain Compost

Check out wastefreesd.org to find a location near you where you can pick up compost for your garden. Some jurisdictions provide free compost for residents.

City of San Diego residents who self-load can get up to two cubic yards per visit of high-quality compost or 4-inch mulch from the Miramar Greenery for free! 1 cubic yard = approximately 1 large bathtub full of material. The Miramar Greenery is located at 5180 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111 and is open Monday-Saturday 7am-4pm, with some closures for holidays and inclement weather.

Please bring the following:

  • Proof of residency in San Diego (such as your ID)
  • Shovel
  • Bucket(s) for compost or mulch
  • Tarp for vehicle trunk
  • Gloves
  • If open-bed truck, a tarp for covering the bed of the truck and bungee cords to strap the tarp down

Check out this The Miramar Greenery website  for more information about the array of recycled landscaping products the Greenery offers, and their practical application in your garden, farm, landscape, or lawn: https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/miramar/greenery

Organic Waste Recycling at Home

Follow these basic tips for recycling your yard trimmings, food scraps, and food-soiled paper in your organics bin or dumpster at home.

  • Save food scraps and food-soiled paper in a container in your refrigerator or freezer to put into your bin or dumpster on the night before or the morning of your organics pick-up day.
  • Line the bottom of your container with newspaper, and wrap organics in a paper product such as a paper bag or newspaper to prevent residue and moisture in your container.
  • Alternatively, layer yard trimmings together with your food scraps and food-soiled paper.
  • Do not put any plastic lined paper products in your organics container. Do the tear test: if the paper tears easily, it can go in your green bin.  If it sticks when you try to tear it, it contains plastic and must go in your trash.
  • Do not put pet waste in your organics container; it should go in your trash.

See more information about the City of San Diego’s Organic Waste Recycling Program here: https://organicwasterecyclesd.org/

Registrations are Open for I Love A Clean San Diego’s 22nd Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup

Registrations are Open for I Love A Clean San Diego’s 22nd Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup

San Diego‘s largest one-day environmental volunteer effort during Earth Month returns on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to noon, with thousands of volunteers expected at nearly 100 cleanup sites.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY (April 2, 2024) – I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is set to host the 22nd annual Creek to Bay Cleanup on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event is the region’s largest one-day environmental volunteer effort in celebration of Earth Month, with nearly 100 cleanup sites around the county. I Love A Clean San Diego expects thousands of volunteers of all ages to participate. Residents can register to volunteer now at cleansd.org/creektobay.

“Creek to Bay provides an opportunity for all San Diegans to actively participate in keeping our green spaces beautiful and healthy!” said Kristin Banks, Volunteer Program Manager at ILACSD.

The Ocean Conservancy estimates that about 80 percent of all litter and debris found along the coast begins inland. When litter enters our local watersheds, it flows downstream and into the Pacific Ocean, negatively impacting infrastructure and becoming a harmful threat to the health of both marine wildlife and humans.

“With cleanup sites all over the region, there’s an opportunity for every San Diegan to get involved no matter where they live and help keep pollution from reaching our local waterways and the ocean,” said Craig Gustafson, Program Manager for Think Blue San Diego.

Think Blue, the public education and outreach program for the City of San Diego’s Stormwater Department, has long been a longtime sponsor of the Creek to Bay Cleanup and partners year-round with ILACSD on cleanups and educational activities.

All San Diegans are encouraged to participate since all residents live in one of the region’s 11 watersheds that lead to our bays, beaches, and oceans. Residents in inland areas are especially encouraged to participate and be the first line of defense in diverting litter from entering our waterways.

In 2023, Creek to Bay volunteers diverted nearly 50 tons of litter and debris from communities across the county. Volunteers can visit cleansd.org/creektobay to find the list of the nearly 100 sites throughout San Diego and locate a site near them.

Thank You to Our 2024 Creek to Bay Partners

Think Blue San Diego, Bank of America, County of San Diego and its Watershed Protection Program, Cox Communications, Project Clean Water, Wells Fargo, San Diego Port Authority, Airport Authority, Illumina, Sempra Infrastructure, Sony Electronics, and Jack in the Box Foundation, City of Chula Vista, City of San Marcos, City of Imperial Beach, Mitch’s Seafood, Sycuan, Great American Cleanup Grant through Keep America Beautiful, City of El Cajon, City of La Mesa Stormwater Department.

About I Love A Clean San Diego

Celebrating 70 years in 2024, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is an environmental nonprofit supporting residents and businesses of San Diego County. ILACSD was founded in 1954 as the San Diego War Against Litter Committee (WALC), in the 1970s, “I Love A Clean San Diego” became the slogan for the organization’s anti-litter campaign, and in 1980, it became the organization’s name. Over the last seven decades, ILACSD has since evolved into the nonprofit it is today, providing programs that go far beyond litter cleanups and serve as environmental catalysts. Our programs inspire and empower San Diegans to be environmental and waste-free living leaders in their communities. For more information, to volunteer, or to make a gift, visit CleanSD.org or call (619) 291-0103. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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