Compost Facility

2250 A Street SW [map]

Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

319-398-5163

Business Hours: 7 am – 4:30 pm, Monday-Saturday

All vehicles must exit facility by 4:30 pm

Tip Fee: $18 per ton ($5 minimum)

Materials accepted – any size: Garden waste, brush, shrubs, grass clippings, house plants, lawn rakings, sod, leaves, weeds

City of Cedar Rapids Yardy Cart Owners: In addition to brush & yard waste, most organic waste can be placed in Yardy carts rather than trash cans. Acceptable materials in Yardy Carts include coffee filters & grounds; fruits & vegetables; dryer lint; hair (human & pet); newspapers; soiled paper including paper towels, napkins, pizza boxes & plates; tea bags.

Background: The 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act banned yard waste from Iowa landfills. In response, the community constructed the compost facility, now more than 20 years old, for use by Linn County communities and residents.

Composting process. Yard waste and brush are turned into a beneficial soil amendment that is high in organic matter. The finished compost serves as a “food cupboard and water faucet” for plants to tap into through their root system.

Services: Agency compost is available in bulk to contractors and landscapers as well as Linn

County residents.

Bulk Compost:  $8 per cubic yard; FREE to residents for home use

Compost uses:

·         Mulching.  Refresh existing soil with a half - to one-inch layer of compost (soil organic matter) as a mulch over bare soil or before adding wood chip mulch. Doing so doesn’t require you to work it in and it allows compost nutrients to slowly percolate down to feed plants with each rain or watering.

·         Amending.  Restore compacted and depleted topsoil by working one to two inches of compost into the top six inches of existing soil. Repeat every two years in the top two inches of the soil profile to maintain a steady supply of organic matter for growing healthy plants.

·         Top-Dressing.  Revitalize existing lawns by applying a quarter- to half-inch of compost each year, preferably right after aeration. Rake it in, then water as usual. Over the course of a few growing seasons your troubled lawn will begin to come alive through nature’s approach to plant growth.