To reduce landfill waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions and help reach its climate and zero waste goals, the City of Fort Collins launched a pilot partnership with Compost Queen.
This one-year food waste composting pilot program will lower the financial barrier to organics recycling access and collect data to inform and shape the City’s approach to reducing the
amount of discarded food and expired food that is sent to a landfill instead of producing soil building compost.
Residents and business owners in the City of Fort Collins can enroll for a monthly service discount, supported by funding from the City Bag Ordinance and a match from Compost Queen. This brings the cost of service plans to as low as $5 per month for new customers in an effort to measure contamination rates, adoption and processing metrics.
The partnership with the City of Fort Collins provides funding for up to 600 residents and 20 businesses to receive discounted drop off or curbside composting service.
“We are excited to be working with an experienced local company to expand composting in our community while building our understanding of the barriers that exist to greater adoption,” said Jacob Castillo, the City’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Organic materials, including yard trimmings and food scraps, currently make up over 40% of what goes into the landfill. We are hoping that through this effort and future activities to chip away at that number.”
“By expanding composting access through this pilot program, we’re taking a major step toward reducing landfill materials, cutting emissions, and advancing Fort Collins’ Road to Zero Waste and Climate Action goals,” said Jamie Blanchard-Poling, founder of Compost Queen. “Organics recycling programs like this can add decades to our local wasteshed plan, like the new North landfill.”
Enrollment for the pilot program opens on Sept. 25, 2025 and continues until it reaches capacity. Qualified participants must be new Compost Queen customers and live in Fort Collins or own a business in Fort Collins in good standing. Interested parties can enroll for the project now at https://compostqueenfc.com/fort-collins-pilot-program.
Food scrap recycling service for those selected will begin Oct. 13-24 and will continue for one year. Any and all housing or business types generating food waste are encouraged to apply, including individual apartments, townhomes, condominiums, mobile homes, single family residences and more.
The program’s subsidized rates will make residential composting $5 per month at a drop-off site or $10 per month for curbside collection, depending on residents’ preferences. A $15 total subsidy will be applied to the resident’s service level of choice from Compost Queen for a twelve month period. Selected businesses will see an $80 discount on their monthly service bills for weekly 65-gallon carts.
In November and April, Compost Queen customers are invited to tour their composting operations and collect a complimentary share of compost. Additional material can be purchased, and their farm partners use it to supply local food resources – closing the carbon cycle and creating circular economies.
The program is funded through the $.10 bag fee collected as a part of the City’s Disposable Bag Ordinance. These funds are earmarked for sustainable initiatives and not part of the General Fund.
Accepted materials include meat, dairy, bones, produce, certified compostable bags and all other food scraps – items not able to be accepted in the yard waste recycling program. Compost Queen does not accept compostable packaging, cutlery, serviceware or manures.
The pilot program is anticipated to divert an additional 165 tons of organics from the landfill during its 12-month run, preventing more than 100 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions—the same as eliminating 250,000 miles of vehicle emissions.
OPEN HOUSE October 7th, 2025 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM
To mark the launch, Compost Queen will host a community open house from 3:30-6:30 p.m., Oct 7, 2025, at Ginger & Baker. The event will begin with a few remarks from Compost Queen, Ginger & Baker, and the City of Fort Collins, then transition to questions, answers, technical support and translation services.
Light refreshments and a celebratory pink mocktail will be provided while supplies last.
About Compost Queen
Compost Queen is a woman owned, Fort Collins based Public Benefit Corporation on a mission to take climate action through organics recycling. Known for operating the only state-compliant food recycling facilities in Larimer County, Compost Queen ensures food scraps are processed and returned to local soils—building local, sustainable, circular economies.
Services include drop-off and curbside (front door) composting services with optional shares of compost for members twice annually. Compost Queen has previously won the United States Composting Council Small Compost Manufacture of the Year award, as well as recognition from Larimer County as an Environmental Steward.