Home Composting

Overview

Create a sustainable, healthy place for you, your family and the environment.

Adding compost to your soil improves its structure, helps it absorb and hold moisture, supplies slow-release nutrients to plants and reduces erosion. An integral part of sustainable gardening, composting helps you create a vibrant, healthy and beautiful garden while conserving water and energy, and reducing pollution and waste. Attend one of our free workshops to learn how.

Compost Workshops

Workshops are free and last about 2 hours. If there are fewer than 15 people registered, workshops will be cancelled - so please pre-register. Adults only please.

Additional compost workshops are available throughout Santa Clara County. Here is a list of all the 2026 workshops for ‘Compost Basics’ and ‘Worm Composting Basics’ workshops. Residents are welcome to attend any workshop held in the county.

Palo Alto residents can receive a free compost bin or worm bin (one per household) by attending a compost workshop. Compost bins are available while supplies last.

Workshops are sponsored by the City of Palo Alto, Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission of Santa Clara County, and UCCE Master Composters. 

Free Garden-Ready Compost

Need more compost than you can make? Don’t have time to make your own? You can get free compost at the following locations:

What is composting?

Composting is the natural process of decomposition of organic matter, such as leaves and food scraps, into a valuable humus-rich soil amendment known as compost. Anything that grows decomposes eventually; composting simply speeds up the process by providing an ideal environment for bacteria, fungi, and other decomposing organisms (such as worms, sowbugs, and nematodes) to do their work. The resulting decomposed matter, which often ends up looking like fertile garden soil, is called compost. Fondly referred to by farmers as “black gold,” compost is rich in nutrients and can be used for gardening, horticulture, and agriculture.