Welcome to BuckheadCOMPOSTS! Compost 101: What Goes in the Bin?

Welcome to Livable Buckhead’s BuckheadCOMPOSTS Competition — a year-long composting challenge bringing apartment communities together to reduce food waste, protect the environment, and win some pretty stellar prizes along the way.

This program is made possible through a partnership between Livable Buckhead, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4, CompostNow, your property team, and local businesses sponsoring monthly prizes. Together, we’re working to make Buckhead a cleaner, more sustainable place to live.

So… what is composting?

Composting is the process of turning food scraps and other organic materials into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Instead of sending food waste to the landfill—where it creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas—composting allows those materials to break down properly and return nutrients to the soil.

And the best part? Participating in this program is incredibly simple.

How Do I Compost in an Apartment?

Watch this quick video:

It’s easy:

1. Collect your food scraps in a sealable container on your countertop or in the fridge. You can line your container with the provided compostable bags.
2. Deposit your scraps in your building’s designated compost bin.
3. Repeat.

That’s it! And because this is a friendly competition, the more you and your neighbors divert food waste from the trash into the compost bin, the better your building’s chances of winning monthly prizes.

That said… composting only works when we do it correctly. Let’s talk about what belongs inside.

If It Grows, It Goes 🌱

If it’s food, it can go in the bin. That simple. Just make sure no food containers get dumped as well, we’re looking for those natural ingredients that come from soil that can go back into the soil. The designated compostable bags provided next to your CompostNow bin are the only acceptable bags that can be composted.

A Quick Note on Contamination (a.k.a. “Cheating”)

It might be tempting to pump up your building’s numbers by putting anything in the bin, but this is cheating and more importantly, causing contamination. Contamination can cause the entire load to be rejected. That means:

• The compost can’t be processed
• The program can incur fines
• Everyone’s hard work gets set back

The two biggest culprits?

1. Pet waste (while technically a soil amendment, not one we want in our system)
2. Using the wrong bags

If you don’t have a compostable bag, it’s totally fine to collect scraps in a container and dump them loose, directly into the bin. Brown paper bags are also an approved method for collection.

Tips for Collecting Food Scraps at Home

• Grab a compostable bag from your building and line a lidded container or large Tupperware
• Keep it on your counter, or store it in the fridge/freezer if you’re worried about smells
  (If your trash doesn’t smell, this shouldn’t either!)
• When full, tie the bag and place it in the compost bin — or dump scraps directly if not using a liner

Let’s Do This, Buckhead

We’re excited to bring BuckheadCOMPOSTS to your community and show just how impactful apartment living can be when we work together. Every banana peel, coffee filter, and leftover counts.

If you’re ever unsure about what’s compostable, remember: If it grows, it goes.

And when in doubt, check out CompostNow’s full guide or contact support.

This month’s challenge is to send in a selfie with your collected food scraps or new compost bin. Submit photos here. The building with the most selfies wins GoBuckheadATL Discount Cards for each unit to enjoy exclusive discounts at restaurants and merchants in the neighborhood. Send in submissions here: and tag us on social media @livablebuckhead if you’d like to share the love of compost with your neighbors 🙂