You’ll be diverting organic waste, cutting down methane emissions and nourishing the soil. Your food scraps will be processed by McEnroe Organic Farm into fertilizer, not turned into bioslurry like the majority of organics in DSNY’s collection.
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Groundcycle also delivers year-round organic fruits and veggies in your Bin Swap! All our members can get sustainable products like soap refills, pantry products and more delivered when we collect your compost.
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We are a business that truly cares. Close the loop and join our sustainable community!

In-season fruits and veggies! It’s like a CSA without the season-long commitment—our farmer decides what’s in the bundle and you decide what size you want. (S) includes 3-5 items, (M) includes 6-8 items, (L) includes 10-12 items and we have a fruit share as well.

Summer Farmer’s Choice (example items): sweet corn, tomato, basil, sweet pepper, eggplant, peach, blueberries, apricots, plums, etc.

Winter Farmer’s Choice (example items): sweet potato, potato, kale, bok choy, radish, and squash, apples, pears, grapes, etc.

In addition to local produce we work with Maison Jar and Precycle to deliver refillable home staples (all types of soaps, cooking oils, vinegar, spices, etc.) and dry pantry goods (rice, beans, pasta, flour, etc.). We’re a one-stop-shop for all your sustainable needs!

It doesn’t! Thanks to our airtight bins, you won’t smell a thing when the lid is on.

If you have space in your freezer, freezing your scraps keeps everything nice and tidy. When it’s time for your service, simply transfer the material into your bin and place it outside during the time of collection.

If freezing is not an option, you can place your scraps directly into the bin and keep the lid on—you should not experience any odors or pests this way.

For both options, when placing the scraps in your bin, please make sure to use the brown paper bag we provide as the liner as it helps us with our cleaning process and adds some ‘browns’ to absorb liquid from the food scraps.

We use 5-gallon bins that hold upwards of 30 lbs of food scraps when compressed inside. The bin is compact (12” in diameter and 14.5” tall)—perfect for storing underneath your sink, in a closet, or any corner of your kitchen. Some of our members even place it on a fire escape or in the backyard. If you cook everyday, start with our weekly service. If it’s too frequent, you can always switch to our biweekly pickup instead.

So many reasons! Our compost processing is actually closed loop: your food scraps will be processed by McEnroe Farms into fertilizer, not turned into bioslurry like the majority of organics in DSNY’s collection. We work with Garden of Eve Organic Farm to deliver farm-fresh produce and refilleries like Maison Jar and Precycle to deliver home goods. We truly care about sustainability and make it as easy as possible for you.

Members on our Compost Only plan get serviced Thursdays and Fridays. Other members on our Farmer’s Choice and Custom Produce plans get their service on Saturdays and Sundays. After you sign up with your address, we’ll let you know which service day you’ll be placed on.

On your first visit, our driver will access the best location for the Bin Swap exchange—we recommend a discreet location away from the street. For apartment buildings, it’s usually in the entry vestibule or near the mailboxes/package drop-off. Other locations include the top of the stoop, behind a fence, or with a doorman. When you leave your bin out for collection, please make sure to attach a note so it doesn’t get mistakenly moved, tossed or taken.

On the morning of your service, you’ll get a reminder to place your bin out and a 3-hour ETA window to expect us. The ETA will generally stay the same, however, from time to time, we might arrive earlier or later than usual depending on external factors like weather, traffic, and re-routing.

As long as we can access your bin without you being there, you won’t need to be present at the time of pickup. If you know you won’t be home, you can place it outside in a secure spot with a note attached. Just please make sure to update your delivery instructions in your User Account so our driver can see it when they get there!

Yes, you can add additional bins to your order in your User Account—we charge $5 per extra bin. If you need it at every service, you can set it as your default order.

Yes, you can skip up to 3 upcoming services in your User Account—if you have a service in the same week, please skip by midnight on Wednesday. Beyond this deadline, there will be a late cancellation fee of $10.

To pause your subscription for a longer period of time, please reach out to thedirt@groundcycle.org with the start and end date of the pause and we’ll be happy to help!

Please email us as soon as possible and you can order a replacement bin for $8. We will deliver the clean bin on your next scheduled service. For that pickup, please feel free to provide us with your food scraps in any bag or container we can use to transport the material.

We recommend placing your bin somewhere secure throughout the week when you’re using it and when you set it out on collection day, placing a handwritten note on the bin really helps with preventing theft.

You may choose between weekly or bi-weekly services in your User Account.

Yes, you can switch your plan at any time! Please request a change in your User Account—we’ll send you an email as soon as we are able to process the change. If you confirm with us by our Wednesday midnight deadline, we can put it into effect that same week.