Residential Composting FAQs

Moonshot Compost

  • The Moonshot office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • We currently do not have a trial option, but all our plans are on a monthly basis and can be canceled at any time.

Composting

  • Pickup (we come to you) and drop-off (you come to us).


  • Fruit, veggies, grains, and more are all copacetic for both residential home pickup and home drop-off. For residential home pickup, we can also accept all your proteins: meat, poultry, seafood, and all them bones! See the full list of compostables.

Containers

  • We offer airtight, 4-gallon buckets for holding and transporting food waste. We also offer ventilated kitchen caddies. Both of these containers are free when you sign up.

  • Yes! We provide compostable bags as part of our service fee, which is a huge value!

  • We kindly ask that you use the containers we provide you for the bin exchange. For our residential drop-off service, you can use your own bins.

  • Yes. We accept bags that are certified compostable by Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). These can be purchased at Target, Whole Foods, Ace Hardware, Amazon, and elsewhere and include brands such as Biobags (the brand Moonshot uses), Aneco, Bag to Nature, Eco Wave, UNNI, and Natur-Bag.

  • You can keep your bin either inside or outside, although having it inside is usually more convenient. Common spots to keep it include under the kitchen sink, in the pantry, or in the garage (unless you’re in an apartment). Keeping your bin on a porch or balcony works, too, and may be the way to go if space in your kitchen is tight.

Pickup Service

  • Our service area is growing! For pickup services, you’ll see if your zip code is in our service area during the signup process.

  • If you live alone and don’t eat at home much, one 4-gallon bin may be adequate for you. The more people in your house, the higher the likelihood of needing additional bins. You can always upgrade to the premium plan to get up to four 4-gallon bins, if necessary.

  • We offer two service packages for our residential pickup service: the first for up to two buckets, and the second for up to four buckets. You can sign up for either and modify your membership as necessary. If you have one bin and want two, or three bins and want four, just reach out to us and we’ll leave another at your next pickup!

  • No–if it fits in the bin, it’s good to go!

  • We collect once per week. That said, we make it easy for you to skip by replying to your weekly reminder text. We refund you $5 for each collection you skip.

  • We start collecting at 7:30 a.m. and will typically finish our collecting before 5 p.m.

  • We assign our subscribers a pickup day based on their location, and we communicate this in your welcome email.

  • Yes! In fact, we prompt you on your weekly texts to let us know if you want a skip. And we refund you $5 every time you skip. You are ultimately in control of how often we come to your home.

  • Your experience can be your guide. We recommend putting whatever you have out for your weekly collection. That’s the best way we know to keep it clean and easy! If you think your bin can wait a week, you can skip a collection and earn a $5 refund by replying to your weekly reminder text.

  • To make sure you don’t miss us, have your bin out by 7:30 a.m. on your scheduled pickup day.

  • When you sign up, just leave us a note telling us where you want us to collect from. We typically exchange buckets from our subscribers’ front porch, but we can go into backyards upon request, so long as gates are left unlocked and there are no loose pets on the property.

  • While we try to provide pickups for all our subscribers who live in apartments, our services vary from complex to complex based on our arrangements with management. The more of your neighbors we get to sign up, the better the chances that we can provide pickup, so spread the word!

  • Typically, you must wait for the following week. Remember, two buckets are the same price as one. For many families, two buckets might be able to cover two weeks’ food waste.

  • Nope, we will handle everything.

  • Typically, we do not collect on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas Day. We clearly communicate with our subscribers by text about their rescheduled day during the holiday weeks.

  • No problem, just let us know; the first lost or damaged bin is on us!

  • Pests should not be able to get into the bins because of the airtight lid. Make sure the lid is securely closed when not in use. You may also need to put the bin out for collection more often if you’re regularly skipping pickups. 

  • For a weekly pickup, odor should not be much of an issue. Your kitchen caddies will keep the food waste from composting for a day or two, and your 4-gallon bucket is airtight. For best results, keep your 4-gallon bin in your house or in your garage, and you will avoid odor problems.

  • We don’t like to collect extra compost. If you are expecting a larger load, just give us a call to see if we can make arrangements.

  • We process refunds after the end of each month. For example, if you skip in January, you will see the refund post to your account in February.

Drop-off Service

  • Check the map where we’re accepting drop-offs near you and check back soon for newly added spots. Drop-off location addresses will be shared in your welcome email after signing up.

  • Roughly speaking, the drop-off locations are open seven days per week, sunup to sundown. There are some exceptions to that general rule, and we’ll communicate those when you sign up.

  • You can head to a drop-off location as often as you like!

  • We provide one 4-gallon bin.

  • You can measure and send us the weight of your compostables then place them in our dedicated drum. We have easy instructions at each location to answer any questions.

  • We provide hand scales so that you can easily weigh your compost and share that weight with us. If you want to track and measure your impact, this is the way. If that’s not your thing, you can skip this part and just drop off your compost.

  • Definitely! Just call us and we will modify your account and provide you with an additional collection container if you need it, an expanded list of compostable items, and your scheduled collection day of the week.

Post-Collection

  • We take everything we collect to a compost facility, where the food waste is mixed with vegetative waste to become compost.

    If you drop off your food waste, your food waste will be turned to compost at a community garden.

    Learn more about what happens to your food waste.

  • Yes, we offer compost back to our subscribers twice per year, in the fall and the spring.

  • No worries, there are always community organizations that can use it. We will arrange for your compost to go to them.

  • Yes! We track a variety of stats on your compost activity that is available for easy access in our free app - the Diversion Dashboard. Visit our diversion reporting page to learn more.

  • For our residential subscribers, it’s provided as part of our service at no additional cost.

  • There sure is. If you’re a pickup subscriber, and a new residential pickup subscriber signs up and lists you as a referral, you receive a $5 credit. There is no limit to how many credits you can earn, so sign up, and tell all your friends and family! Learn more about Referral Rewards.

    .

Turn your food waste into valuable compost for yourself or the community with the help of Moonshot Compost.