Food scrap compost program available for drop-off service

The Rust Belt Riders Neighborhood food scrap drop-off program now is available in Avon Lake.

Composting helps reduce harmful methane emissions and the amount of waste sent to landfills, according to a news release from Avon Lake.

This service offers an easy action residents can take every day to make a positive impact on the planet, the release said.

Steps to participation in program

Participation requires residents to sign up online at RustBeltRiders.com.

Members pay $10 per month and can bring all their food scraps, including raw and cooked foods, animal products and bones, to bins located by the mulch piles at the Avon Lake Service Department building, 750 Avon Belden.

These bins are available daily, so members can bring as many food scraps as are generated from their kitchen at a time that is most convenient for them, according to the release.

Rust Belt Riders recommends using a five-gallon bucket lined with a brown paper bag to collect scraps in and encourages weekly drop-off, the release said.

Where to buy buckets

Residents can buy Rust Belt Riders buckets and bags at any Phoenix Coffee Cafe in Cleveland.

Upon signing up, participating members will receive a four-digit code in their welcome email that can be used to open the padlocks securing the lid of the collection container.

The program collection includes food scraps and any BPI-Certified compostable product.

Rust Belt Riders does not accept pure liquid, pure oil, or non BPI-Certified compostable products.

A free app is available for download, Better Bin, and has a complete list of acceptable materials.