Visit Our Markets Compost with GCM

Green City Market is committed to creating a more sustainable food system in Chicago from the shopping bag to the compost bin. We partner with Healthy Soil Compost to offer compost drop-off services for our community at our farmers' markets.

Winter 2021-22

Please note, Green City Market will not be offering composting services while our farmers' markets are closed during the winter of 2021-22. Compost drop-off services will resume when our markets re-open in the spring of 2022. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop about Green City Market's 2022 opening dates.

In the meantime, check out Healthy Soil Compost for all your compost needs!

WHY SHOULD I COMPOST?

You can divert waste from landfills. Organic matter (a.k.a. anything that came from a plant or animal) makes up the largest part of what goes into our landfills. Between 30-50% of waste that ends up in the landfill could have actually been composted.
You can reduce greenhouse gases. Landfills are anaerobic environments (a.k.a. what goes into a landfill gets sealed off and decomposes without oxygen). When organic matter decomposes without oxygen, it releases large amounts of methane (a climate change-causing greenhouse gas). Composting is one of the best ways individuals can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
You can return organic matter and food waste back into the soil. When the composting process is complete, the “finished” compost looks like a rich, black soil. It’s an incredibly nutrient-rich fertilizer that can be used in farming and gardening.

HOW DO I COMPOST WITH GCM?

Download Green City Market's Guide to Composting to learn what you can compost with us and how to get started.
Form a composting habit and get rewarded — compost with GCM four times and get the fifth drop-off free! Stop by the Info Booth to start a loyalty card and get started.
- We believe composting should be accessible to everyone — if you use Link with Green City Market, your compost fee will be waived.
- Please note, space is limited, so arrive at the market early if you plan to drop off compost! If our compost bins fill up, we will stop accepting drop-offs for the remainder of the market day.

Start Composting

YOUR IMPACT

Here's what our community of composters accomplished together last year:

6,000+pounds of carbon reduced by composting

11,167 pounds of organic waste composted + diverted from landfills

Freecompost drop-offs for shoppers using Link/EBT