Compost it Right

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Compost it Right Official Hutchinson Curbside Organics Program page. Feel free to message us your questions!

Helping residents of Hutchinson, MN utilize and understand their City's Curbside Food Scraps and Yard Waste Collection (Organics) Program. DISCLAIMER

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Please note that comments expressed on the City’s social networking sites do not reflect the opinions or positions of the city of Hutchinson, its employees or elected officials. Users participate at their own risk, taking personal responsibility for comments, usernames, any information provided, and off-site navigation. The city of Hutchinson has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its social networking pages. However, several factors that are beyond the City’s control (including unauthorized modification of electronic data, transmission errors, browser incompatibilities, information that has been cached on the local computer or storage device, or other aspects of electronic communication) can affect the quality of the information displayed on this site. For that reason, the City does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided on its social networking sites and is not liable for reliance on this information. Advertising
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Residents aren't the only ones working toward cleaner compost. We're making improvements at Creekside Soils, too!Thanks ...
10/09/2026

Residents aren't the only ones working toward cleaner compost. We're making improvements at Creekside Soils, too!

Thanks to grant funding from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the City of Hutchinson purchased a Vac Max attachment for our compost screener to help remove plastic contamination.

How does it work? As compost is screened, larger pieces of material are separated out. The Vac Max uses powerful suction to pull lightweight plastics, like bags and film, out of that material. This allows us to recover and reuse more organic material that would otherwise be sent to the landfill.

That means less waste, fewer truck trips to the landfill, and better quality compost!

While this equipment helps us manage contamination, the best way to remove it is to keep it out in the first place!

Thanks for doing your part to Compost it Right!

We’re improving but what’s still ending up in the wrong cart?  👀Yesterday, we shared the good news that our latest curbs...
10/07/2026

We’re improving but what’s still ending up in the wrong cart? 👀

Yesterday, we shared the good news that our latest curbside organics audit showed continued improvement and our lowest contamination rate in recent years! But there’s still work to do, so what did we find?

By quantity, our biggest contaminant was cardboard, including boxes covered in shipping labels, tape, and glossy printing. Cardboard belongs in your tan-lid recycling cart, where it can be recycled and made into a new box.

We also found quite a few other items that simply ended up in the wrong cart:

♻️ Recycle it: Pop cans, glass bottles, mail, plastic containers and cardboard should go in your tan-lid recycling cart.

🗑️ Trash it: Fast-food cups, wrappers and other non-recyclable packaging belong in your black-lid trash cart.

🪵 Keep lumber out: Treated, painted and dimensional lumber does not belong in your organics cart. Small, natural sticks and twigs are okay, and larger branches and logs can be brought to Creekside for processing.

Lets focus on food scraps: When it comes to your green-lid cart, food scraps are what we really want! Fruit and vegetable peels, pits, cores, etc., meat and bones, coffee grounds, egg shells, spoiled leftovers and food can all be composted instead of going in the trash.

We’ve made great progress, now let’s keep moving in the right direction! https://hutchinsonmn.gov/city-services/utilities/composting/

We’re heading in the right direction, Hutchinson! 👏The results are in from our September curbside organics audit, and we...
10/06/2026

We’re heading in the right direction, Hutchinson! 👏

The results are in from our September curbside organics audit, and we have some good news to share!

Our latest audit averaged 4.31% contamination, our lowest audit average in recent years.

For comparison:
2024: 10.9%
2025: 7.62%
2026: 4.31%

That means we’re seeing fewer items that don’t belong making their way into our green-lid carts and that progress comes from YOU! Thank you for learning, asking questions and making an effort to Compost it Right.

We’re making great progress, but we’re not quite done yet. Stay tuned later this week when we share a closer look at what we found during the audit and where we can keep improving.

10/06/2026
We’re excited to be part of this new opportunity!The Environmental Academy is officially open for registration, with FRE...
09/18/2026

We’re excited to be part of this new opportunity!

The Environmental Academy is officially open for registration, with FREE monthly sessions offering a closer look at environmental programs and resources in our community.

And of course, a Creekside Soils tour is on the schedule as November's session!

Check out the full lineup and register for one or all! 👇
https://hutchinsonmn.gov/city-services/departmentsfacilities/sustainability-natural-resources/environmental-academy/

🌱 We’re excited to launch the Environmental Academy, a new FREE educational series open to all who live and work in McLeod County!

With one session offered each month, the Environmental Academy gives our community a chance to go behind the scenes of environmental programs, resources, and facilities through tours, hands-on learning, and conversations with local experts. Sessions will explore urban forestry, parks, composting, recycling, household hazardous waste, soil and water conservation, and more.

Registration is now open! Sign up for the full series or choose just the sessions that interest you.

🍂 First up: Forest on the Prairie – Hutchinson’s Urban Forest
Thursday, October 8 | 5:30–7:00 p.m. | South Park

Enjoy an evening outdoors during the fall season while learning about Hutchinson’s urban forest! City Forestry staff will share how our community’s trees are selected, planted, maintained, and protected, followed by a guided tree walk with some hands-on tree identification.

👉 View the full schedule & register:
https://hutchinsonmn.gov/city-services/departmentsfacilities/sustainability-natural-resources/environmental-academy/

We hope you’ll join us!

Happy September! As you start trimming trees, cleaning up the yard, and getting things ready for fall, remember: small t...
09/01/2026

Happy September! As you start trimming trees, cleaning up the yard, and getting things ready for fall, remember: small twigs and sticks are welcome in your green-lid organics cart, but larger wood should stay out.

Hutchinson residents can bring larger sticks, branches, and logs to Creekside Soils for FREE. These materials are handled and processed differently than curbside collected organics, so keeping larger wood out of your cart helps our equipment, operators, and composting process run smoothly.

☎️ You Called, We Answered!This week, a resident called to ask if fire pit ash can go in the green-lid organics cart. Th...
08/27/2026

☎️ You Called, We Answered!

This week, a resident called to ask if fire pit ash can go in the green-lid organics cart. The answer is no.

Ash can hold hidden heat for several days, even when they appear completely extinguished, creating a serious fire risk in carts, collection trucks, and at Creekside.

We also cannot verify what was burned. Treated or painted wood, trash, and chemical fire starters can leave behind harmful residues that contaminate finished compost. Even clean wood ash is highly alkaline, and large amounts can raise the compost’s pH and harm the beneficial microorganisms that break down organic material.

For everyone’s safety and to protect our compost, please keep all fire pit ash out of your organics cart.

Great question! Have one of your own? Find our contact number at the bottom of the page and give us a call. Your question could be featured next week! https://hutchinsonmn.gov/city-services/utilities/composting/

Thank you to all the Hutchinson families who stopped by our booth at the McLeod County Fair this weekend! So many great ...
08/24/2026

Thank you to all the Hutchinson families who stopped by our booth at the McLeod County Fair this weekend! So many great conversations and questions about composting!

And a special welcome to the families who headed home with a food scrap collection kit! It’s great to see more residents putting their organics carts to full use and sending those kitchen scraps to Creekside Soils to be recycled into compost.

We also loved seeing a few faces light up when they got to take home some goodies from our garden along the way. 🌱

Feel free to reach out if you missed us! https://hutchinsonmn.gov/city-services/utilities/composting/

🎡 Find Compost it Right at the McLeod County Fair!We’ll be in the Commercial Building Thursday–Sunday, August 20–23 talk...
08/19/2026

🎡 Find Compost it Right at the McLeod County Fair!

We’ll be in the Commercial Building Thursday–Sunday, August 20–23 talking all things curbside organics! Stop by with your questions, learn more about where your organics go after collection, the composting process, and why this service is so important to our community.

Hutchinson residents: Already have a green lid organics cart but haven’t started collecting food scraps yet? Come grab a free starter kit with:

- Kitchen collection bin
- Compostable bags
- Information on what’s accepted

You don’t have to collect a lot to make an impact, small scraps make a big difference! 🌱

☎️ You Called, We Answered!A resident recently asked if produce stickers are an issue in the green-lid organics cart. Th...
08/17/2026

☎️ You Called, We Answered!

A resident recently asked if produce stickers are an issue in the green-lid organics cart. They are! Produce stickers are made of plastic and do not break down during composting.

Please remove stickers, twist ties, rubber bands, etc. from fruits and vegetables before placing scraps in your organics bin. It may seem small, but every sticker removed helps us create cleaner finished compost!

Great question! Have one of your own? Find our contact number at the link below and give us a call. Your question could be featured next week! https://hutchinsonmn.gov/city-services/utilities/composting/

Address

1500 Adams Street SE
Hutchinson, MN
55350

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