Compost Facility

The compost facility opens for the 2019 season on April 2nd!   Please see the 2019 schedule.
Compost
The Town of Bethlehem's Compost Facility provides an ecologically responsible way of processing the leaves and brush collected each year by the Town, and offers high quality compost products made from these materials. The facility is open to the public, and accepts yard waste for drop-off (tipping fees apply to businesses and non-residents).  The facility hours are 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. when open.

Obtaining Compost

Screened Compost, Leaf Compost and Wood Mulch are available at the Compost Facility for residents, non-residents and commercial users. Non-residents and commercial users can only obtain compost on full service days. Rates for the Compost Facility can be found here. (see compost product descriptions below)

Dropping Off Yard Waste


Town Residents may drop off yard waste for FREE (up to 4 yards/week) during Full Service and Self Service hours. Commercial users may drop off yard waste during Full Service hours at a rate of $10/yard.  See schedule.

Our Compost Products:

“Bethlehem’s Choice” Screened Compost: Our classic screened compost made from Bethlehem’s own brush, yard waste, and spring leaves. The material is great for mulching or top dressing for landscaping and gardens of all types, and improves soil texture and fertility when mixed into your garden soils.

Landscaping companies and homeowners alike typically choose our screened compost for their landscaping and gardening needs.

It can also be spread on your lawn in the Fall to give your grass a boost for the spring. Detailed lab analysis conducted by the State demonstrates that this is a high quality product; lab results available upon request.

“Garden Gold” Leaf Compost: A compost soil amendment made exclusively from our vacuum collected fall leaves. Its high organic content makes it perfect for turning into your vegetable or flower gardens, or for mixing with sand or new topsoil to create new gardens or beds. . When paired with manure or another rich fertilizer, it is an ideal garden soil ingredient. 

Contractors often use our leaf compost for topsoil production, and it also makes a great choice for erosion control in landscaping, construction or road work projects using compost blankets or filter berms.

The technical gardener’s term for Leaf Compost is “Leaf Mold,” but don’t let the name fool you! In the words of gardening expert and author Colleen Vanderlinden:  “Leaf mold is essentially a soil conditioner. It increases the water retention of soils. According to some university studies, the addition of leaf mold increased water retention in soils by over 50%. Leaf mold also improves soil structure and provides a fantastic habitat for soil life, including earthworms and beneficial bacteria.”

“Natural Blend” Wood Mulch:
Made entirely from double-ground logs and wood chips from our trees and brush, our newest product is a true wood mulch, perfect for landscaping and weed suppression around shrubs and trees, garden paths, etc. NOTE: We may only have a darker wood mulch available than the wood mulch we’ve sold for the previous two years, depending on the time of year, availability of the materials used in wood mulch production, and grinding process..

Why use Compost?

  • Compost enriches the soil
  • Holds soil moisture
  • Helps prevent erosion
  • Suppresses weed growth
  • Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers
  • Offers other environmental and economic benefits

More about what compost is and why to use it:
http://ccetompkins.org/resources/compost-basics-benefits-of-composting