New Brunswick Community Food Alliance Fact Sheet #1:
Composting in New Brunswick
Composting in New Brunswick’s Community Gardens

Shiloh Garden:
o Type of composter: geo bins
o What is composted: expired produce from Bravo Supermarket and Elijah’s
Promise Soup Kitchen through a program coordinated by New Brunswick 4-H

Unity Square Landers Square Garden
o Type of composter: three box compost system installed at the back of the garden
o What is composted: kitchen waste, accepts compost material from Unity Square
residents

Unity Square Feaster Park Garden
o Type of composter: compost tumbler
o What is composted: kitchen waste, accepts compost material from Unity Square
residents

Christ Church Community Garden:
o Type of composter: coffee grounds are added garden beds
o What is composted: kitchen waste is not yet accepted, but will be in the future

Greater Brunswick Charter School Garden:
o Type of composter: two box system composter maintained by classes and used by
the school’s master gardener
o What is composted: food waste from students and staff, planning to accept school
families to compost food waste
Composting by the City of New Brunswick



The Department of Public Works and Recycling collects leaves curbside in April, May,
November, and December, and this material is composted for collection by residents in
the Spring
The Department of Public Works provides 20 free bags per property per year for compost
material
City residents can retrieve as much compost as they like (first come first served) from the
three compost locations:
o 400 Jersey Avenue (next to the Public Works Building)
o Pine Street off of Georges Road at Recreation Park
o Pennington Road in the Rutgers Village Neighborhood.
“Grass Cycling,” another form of composting:

Grass cycling is the process of recycling glass clippings by leaving them on your lawn
after mowing instead of disposing them. Benefits of grass cycling include:
o Time savings on lawn maintenance
o Cost savings in reducing water use (clippings return moisture to the soil when
they decompose) and in reduced need for chemical fertilizers
Be Safe When Composting:






Always wear dry, breathable gloves and protective footwear
Always wash your hands after dealing with compost
Always wear a dust mask or nose and mouth guard when stirring and tilling the compost
Avoid tilling the compost on windy days
Do not store compost in airtight containers
Seek medical attention if you develop breathing problems or skin infections
Additional Community Composting Resources:

For more information about leaf compost pick up contact:
The New Brunswick Division of Recycling at (732) 745-5059

The Middlesex County Office of Solid Waste Management in association with the
Rutgers Cooperative Extension offers composting workshops during different parts of the
year at the Middlesex County EARTH Center. For more information about Middlesex
County Composting Workshops contact:
The Middlesex County Office of Solid Waste Management at (732) 745-4170 or email at
solidwaste@co.middlesex.nj.us