Bellevue Residents Can Pick up Free Compost Saturday at Sherwood Forest

The City of Bellevue and Cedar Grove Composting, in partnership with the Bellevue School District, are offering free compost to Bellevue residents this month during Compost Days on the Eastside.

To receive a free bag of compost, residents must bring a compost coupon and be one of the first 1,000 visitors this Saturday at . The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Supplies are limited, and residents must have the coupon.

In addition to free compost, Cedar Grove is giving Bellevue residents discounts on bulk compost. With a retailer coupon, a resident who buys two bags of compost can get a third one free.

In 2009 almost 20,000 tons of organics (yard debris, food waste and food-soiled paper) was picked up curbside from Bellevue residents and recycled into nutrient-rich compost by Cedar Grove. Last year all 16 Bellevue elementary schools started recycling food waste and food-soiled paper, diverting another 150 tons of materials from the landfill.

Adding compost minimizes water usage and adds beneficial microbes, nutrients and structure to the soil, leading to stronger, healthier flowers, plants and vegetables. The city of Bellevue has other easy steps to natural yard care.

Cedar Grove (1-877-SOILS-4U) offers more information about Compost Days and compost use. They also partnered with Seattle Public Utilities and local restaurants to offer coupons for discounts at restaurants that recycle their organics.

-- Information from the City of Bellevue