FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
+Which neighborhoods does O-Town Compost service?
+ How much does service cost?
Bi-weekly pickups - $24/month
Weekly pickups - $32/month
We typically recommend bi-weekly service for households of 1-3 people, and weekly for households of 4 or more.
+ What can I include in my bucket?
+ Do you service apartments?
Sure do! When you subscribe, please enter in the notes field any information for our driver to access your bucket outside your door such as gate codes or floor number. It's our prerogative to give everyone access to food scrap recycling, even those in multifamily complexes.
+ Can I recycle my batteries, textiles, light bulbs, plastic film, paint, small electronics, and cords/wires with O-Town Compost even if I'm not a subscriber?
Unfortunately not. Our special recycling service is only available for subscribers.
+DOESN'T THE CITY/COUNTY PICK UP MY FOOD WASTE AS PART OF THE STANDARD TRASH SERVICE? WHY SHOULD I COMPOST?
Composting is nature's method of disposing of food waste. Organic material that ends up in landfills does not breakdown, and instead are mummified without the presence of oxygen. This releases methane. Methane emissions from landfills are a leading contributor to climate change. Composting your food waste also produces a rad product, compost, which is an extremely productive, all-natural fertilizer. Many of our customers report that they reduce their trash by nearly half!
+I'D LIKE TO TRY THIS OUT BUT I AM WORRIED THAT I WILL HAVE TO STOP FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS. DO I HAVE TO MAKE A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT?
Not to worry. We offer the service on a month-to-month basis. You are welcome to cancel at any time. However, we find that it works so well for most people that they stick with it as long as they live in Central Florida.
+I LOVE THIS IDEA. AND I THINK MY NEIGHBOR WOULD TOO. BUT NEITHER OF US GENERATES A LOT OF FOOD SCRAPS. CAN I SHARE A BUCKET WITH A NEIGHBOR?
Of course. You and your neighbor are welcome to share a bucket! That's the definition of "community composting" at a local level.
+ Can I drop off my food waste?
No, we don't offer compost drop-off service at the moment.
+ What if my bucket is full and I have more scraps?
For one third of the cost of regular service, we offer our customers an additional bucket.
We run set routes each day to manage all our customers, and, respectfully, we cannot offer complimentary pickups of scraps that don’t fit in the buckets.
+ Where should I leave my bucket for pickup?
Please place your full bucket near the front entrance of your building or residence by 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. Please don't leave the bucket curbside, as we've lost many buckets this way when the trash truck mistakes it for trash.
+Do I need to be home for pickups?
Nope! Just leave your bucket near the front entrance on the day of your pickup and we’ll swap it out for a new one. Service occurs between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m (worse case scenario), so it may take a few hours.
+ What do I do if I lose my bucket?
Please [email us](mailto:info@o-towncompost.com) to let us know and we will arrange to bring you a new bucket, or an alternative collection method for the current cycle. Please note we charge a $15 fee for buckets lost or stolen from your address.
+ Do you send us a reminder before collection day?
Yes! We understand you are busy and are susceptible to forgeting to place your bucket out. Our subscribers have the option to receive a text message or email reminder the night before pickup day.
+ Is there a referral program?
Yep! Once you sign up you get a unique referral link, and have the option to send a $15 credit to friend to earn a $15 credit on your account.
+ Is there a student discount?
Yes sirry! Enter the special discount code at checkout to get $24 off your first month.
+ Do you service restaurants or cafes?
We handle commercial accounts separately. If your business is interested in reducing its waste and potentially saving $ on trash collection costs, please send us an email at info@o-towncompost.com.
+ How do I receive my finished compost?
As an expression of our gratitude to our subscribers, we offer a 20-pound share of compost twice per year. To order your share as a subscriber, sign into your customer portal, go to the shop, and order the item titled "Compost Giveback" for $0.
+ What if I don’t need to receive compost?
We will happily donate it to one of the thriving local permaculture or agricultural projects, such as [Froot Farm], [Everoak Farm] or [The 4 Roots Farm](https://www.4rootsfarm.org/). Read more about the cool work we do to support our local food system, and subscribe to our blog below!
+ How do I pay for service?
We use an automated billing system, Stripe, for all clients, that renews every month, making payments to O-Town Compost hassle and worry-free. Sorry, cash or checks are not accepted.
+ How do I update my payment information?
Through your secure customer portal on our website.
+ Won’t my O-Town Compost bucket attract rodents or other unpleasant insects?
Compared to composting in the backyard or placing food waste in a trash can in the kitchen, O-Town’s air-tight sealable bucket is a secure option at preventing unwanted guests. We would recommend putting the lid on firmly after each use to stay diligent against nature’s forces.
+ Can I change up my frequency of service?
Definitely. For any increase or decrease in frequency and we can work together to get it done.
+ I’m going on vacation. How much notice do you need to suspend service temporarily?
We understand people go out of town. To skip pickups temporarily, simply login to your customer portal and select which dates you will not need pickups. A $5 credit is automatically added to your account on next month's billing cycle.
+Do you share our personal information with any third parties?
No! We take our customers personal privacy very seriously, and do not share any personal information outside the organization.