Organics Program

Backyard Composting Kit Giveaway Website AD
Home Organics Kit - At home composting
Polk County Environmental Services residential Organics kits. Call 218-281-5700 for details on how to get a free starter kit. 
Full System - Pic 02 - 03-26-19

Polk County is proud to announce the Residential Organics Collection Program which will be available soon at the Crookston Transfer Station. The organics program aims to allow residents to collect their organics within their household and drop it off at the transfer station. Residents that are interested in collecting compostable organic waste within their households should contact Environmental Services at 218-281-6445 or email at environmental.svs@co.polk.mn.us

During the Governors Stay at home order we are finalizing the program plans and will open this program to the public once the Governor deems it safe to operate. The first step in getting started with your own at home organics collection is to get on an interested participant list for the residential organics program. Contact staff at the transfer station to get on the contact list. All we need to get your household signed up for the program is to send us an email or phone call with your name, address and contact information either email or phone number.

Organics Scraping Plate

The first step in the composting process is the collection of organics and food scraps. Residential households can collect acceptable items, place them in certified organic bags, and deliver these materials to the Crookston Transfer Station. See below under related documents for a list of "acceptable compost items".

compostable bags
Compost Bin
This compost bin is loaded with compostable organic bags from residential household by Transfer Station staff.  This bin is equipped with an air system to filter air in/out of the bin to reduce odors from the organic materials inside.  The bin is not composting inside of the container, that process is left for the compost pad located at the Polk County Landfill.
Compost buncher at Landfill
This is the compost bunker located at the landfill where the organics collection containers are dumped to start the process.
Compost buncher zoomed out
This is the compost pad located at the landfill where compostable materials are turned to promote breakdown of organic materials into rich compost.  The pad serves as a platform to have the compost turner aerate large windrows of compostable materials.  The compost turner in the picture above is a machine that rotates the compostable material to allow air circulation that promotes organic breakdown and heating to kill pathogens in the process of making compost. 

Organics Program Documents

  1. Acceptable_Unacceptable Compost POLK SAMPLE
  2. Food Waste Hierarchy