Town of Vail has partnered with Vail Honeywagon to offer a residential curbside compost pilot program in select West Vail neighborhoods. The pilot program began in 2021 and is now going strong thanks to the response from the West Vail community! We are grateful for everyone who signed up over the past two months!

Vail Honeywagon will also consider expanding to East Vail if we get 75 interested households to sign up as interested. We are getting there, but still need another 15 East Vail residents to sign up as interested.

Cost

Town of Vail will subsidize the program by 50% for one year.

Subsidized cost to residents is $8/month, billed quarterly.

A limited number HOA’s and Multi-family residences are also eligible. Pricing varies based on size of complex. Town of Vail will subsidize 50% of monthly fee to the HOA or multi-family unit up to $50/month.

Enroll In The West Vail Curbside Compost Program

Call Vail Honeywagon at 970-476-3511 and let the customer service representative know you would like to enroll in the West Vail Curbside Compost Program. They will get you all set up and have your bucket delivered and let you know when your service will begin.

Express Your Interest In Expanding To East Vail

Fill out this form if you are interested in curbside compost service possibly expanding into East Vail.

What is included in the program?

• 5-gallon locking bucket
• Educational materials
• Guidelines and instructions
• Two paper yard waste bags to get you started
• Weekly curbside compost service

Accepted Materials

• All food waste, including meat and dairy products
• Yard waste
• BPI certified compostable service ware, cups, and bags
• Most natural fibers (paper towels, coffee filters, shredded paper, pizza boxes, etc.)

Program Rules

• The 5-gallon locking bucket for all food waste must be stored indoors or in a wildlife resistant enclosure and placed out on the curbside only on the morning of service.
• All food waste must be kept in the locking bucket when placed on the curb for pick up.
• If it is completely free of any food waste or food residue, yard waste can be placed at the curbside on collection day in paper yard waste bags or in a container less than 20 gallons in size.
• All compost (food waste, yard waste, etc.) must be placed on the curbside or identified pick up location ONLY on the morning of collection no later than 8 am.

Program Boundaries

The program is open to West Vail residents who live along the valley floor throughout West Vail from Sandstone to Arosa Dr. on North Side, Intermountain to Matterhorn Neighborhood on South side. West Vail neighborhoods above the valley floor (i.e. Potato Patch) will be considered on a case by case basis. Program boundaries in East Vail will be determined when enough residents show interest.

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must live in participating West Vail neighborhoods full time with their Vail address as their primary residence. Year-round residents will be prioritized for participation.

Additional financial support is available for income-qualified residents. Please contact Beth Markham, environmental sustainability manager at bmarkham@vail.gov or 970-479-2333 for more information.

Why Compost?

• About 37% of Vail’s waste that is sent to the landfill could be composted.
• This includes waste like banana peels, vegetables, eggshells, chicken wings (really all food including meat and dairy), paper towels, coffee filters, yard waste, etc.
• When this type of waste decomposes in the landfill it creates methane gas which is a powerful greenhouse gas that is almost 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
• Composting is one solution to help reduce impacts of climate change.
• Feeding the Soil that Feeds you: composting returns nutrients to the soil that will grow healthy, strong, and nutrient rich vegetables, fruits, and other plants.