Composting Best Practices
Table of Contents:
Payment Structure
Pickup Logistics
Changing Account Information
Changing Pickup Schedule
Make up Pickups & Holidays
Bucket Usage & Bucket Replacements
More Information on Compost Club
1. 2025 Payment Structure
2025 Pricing:
Weekly Pickup Membership
Biweekly Pickup Membership
(Every Other Week)
Monthly Pickup Membership
$40 / Month
$30 / Month
$20 / Month
> 52 stops/year
> $10 per stop refunded or added
> $5 per extra bucket requested
> $5 per bag/container of extra material
> 26 stops/year
> $15 per stop refunded or added
> $5 per extra bucket requested
> $5 per bag/container of extra material
> 12 stops/year
> $20 per stop refunded or added
> $5 per extra bucket requested
> $5 per bag/container of extra material
Monthly Payments
Every residential member must pay their monthly service fee, highlighted above, via an online recurring Stripe subscription.
Paying by Recurring Stripe Subscription
Secure payment methods include Credit/Debit Cards or direct bank transfer through Stripe.
Your first payment will be charged on your first day of service.
Payments are automatically charged on the same day each month.
Example: You sign up for Compost Club service and add a form of payment on January 5th. The charge on January 5th covers the cost of service for stop(s) in January. You will be charged on the 5th of each month moving forward.
Refunds/Credits
Refunds are sent in the form of a credit to your account.
Outstanding Balances
If a recurring monthly payment fails due to the payment on file being declined, Stripe will attempt to try again three more times in seven day intervals. Members will be notified via email reminders.
Account Suspension
Your account will be deactivated and subscription canceled if you owe more than 1 month's worth of service fees for more than 21 days.
If your account is deactivated and you eventually want to rejoin the service, you will have to pay off your previous outstanding balance and then email us to re-start service.
2. Pickup Logistics
First Bucket Delivery
We do not do pickups face to face, so no one needs to be home during any Compost Club delivery/pickup. We will send you 1 reminder email the day before (via email, text, or both based on your preference), letting you know that we will be stopping by. We will leave your bucket at the agreed upon “Bucket Location”.
If You’ve Already Been Collecting Material
If you have already been collecting compostables, before joining Compost Club, and want us to pick them up during your first stop, email us to let us know and we can do that (no extra fee). Wet material (like food scraps) has to be placed in a sealed plastic container, so that it doesn’t attract unwanted pests. Dry material can be placed in a paper bag or a plastic container.
You can usually pick up used pickle buckets (FOR FREE!) from Jimmy John’s locations. Let them know you are using it for composting and they are usually happy to give them away.
Again, if you intend to leave compostables out for your first pickup, please send compost@theurbancanopy.org an email (in advance) so that we can notify our drivers. Keep in mind that the container or bag you place the extra material in will not be returned to you.
Pick Up Window
Our Transporter crew members could arrive at your residence anytime between 8am and 5pm on the day of your scheduled pick- up. Please have your buckets or bins out in your designated spot by 8am.
3. Changing Account Information
Changing Account Information
If you’d like to change any of your account information (bucket location, email address, phone number, etc.), you can login to your member portal. You can also email us with your request and we will make that change.
Changing Your Address
If you are moving to a new address within the Chicago area, submit a request via your member portal in advance and tell us when you want the last pickup at your old place to be and when you would like your first stop at your new address. Our service area can be viewed here.
You can submit a request via your member portal by selecting Request a Change of Address in the Service & Support dropdown menu.
Please note that your pickup schedule may change if you are moving to another part of town. Please also let us know what your new unit number is and what you’d like your new bucket location to be at your new residence.
Transferring Accounts
If you’re moving and would like to transfer your Compost Club account to a housemate, email us with the new account holder’s information and we will make that change.
Updating Credit/Debit Card Info
You can login to your member portal and update your information. We are not able to update it for you. To update the card on file used to charge you for monthly payments, select Payment Method in the Account & Billing drop down method on the top of your member portal.
4. Changing Pickup Schedule
Canceling Pickups
A: If you want to cancel a pickup because your bucket isn’t full or you’re out of town, no problem! Notify us the day before we’re supposed to stop by.
Login to your member portal by midnight the evening prior to your scheduled service date, where you are able to skip upcoming stops. You can find this feature on the top right of your profile page.
You can also send us an email to compost@theurbancanopy.org by 3pm the day prior to your scheduled stop.
Adding Extra Pickups (Extra Fee)
You are always welcome to schedule additional pickups. You will be charged the corresponding “per stop fee”. Refer to Section 1 of this document for “per stop” fees.
Please schedule extra pickups in advance (by 3PM the day before you’d like us to stop by), by emailing us at compost@theurbancanopy.org.
Extra Material (Extra Fee)
We do accept extra material (leaves, yard waste, or food scraps) and charge $5 per bag or container. Wet material (like food scraps) need to be placed in a sealed plastic container, so that it doesn’t attract unwanted pests. Dry material can be placed in a bag or a plastic container.
Keep in mind that the container or bag you place the extra material in will not be returned to you.
You can schedule an extra materials pick up by purchasing the corresponding item in the Shop in your member portal.
If you do not send us an email request or place a shop order, we can’t guarantee your extra material will be picked up.
Putting Service on Hold
You can cancel your upcoming service for up to about 10 weeks. To skip upcoming stops, please see instructions in Section 4 above “Canceling Pickups”.
If you’d like to suspend your pickups for longer than 10 weeks, we can suspend your service. Please send us an email to compost@theurbancanopy.org or login to your member portal to send us a message with your request to suspend service due.
Ending Service
If you need to end your pickup service, please let us know as soon as possible! We will stop by one last time to pickup any remaining buckets or bucket locks you may have. You are responsible for paying for this last pickup.
Send us an email to compost@theurbancanopy.org or login to your member portal to Request to Cancel Service. You can find this feature under the Account & Billing drown down menu.
If you move before we’re able to stop by and collect our supplies, we will charge you $5 per bucket that isn’t returned. In addition to the bucket fee, we will charge you $10 to replace any bucket lock that isn’t returned (if you’ve already moved, you can always mail the lock back & avoid the $10 replacement fee). Let us know if you’re moving as soon as possible to simplify this process. :)
Changing Pickup Frequency
You can email compost@theurbancanopy.org with your new desired pickup frequency, or send us a message via your member portal. Once your frequency has been updated in our system, we will send you a confirmation email.
I Forgot to Put My Bucket Out?!
Not a problem! You have a few options when this happens:
You can choose not to notify us, that way we’ll still stop by and leave you a fresh bucket. We will always leave you a new bucket, whether you leave one out for pickup or not. You can then set both buckets out for pickup next time.
Or, you can email us or message us via your member portal the day of and let us know you forgot to leave your bucket out. We will ask our driver to skip you if they’re still able to. You won’t be refunded for that skipped stop since it is a last minute request, but skipping you will at least save us on gas!
If you miss a pickup, you can always schedule an extra pickup the following week, or just wait until your next scheduled pickup. If you want to cancel a pickup in advance, let us know the day before and we will skip you and credit you. For more info on how credits are sent, read through the Refunds/Credits section a couple pages prior.
5. Make Up Pickups and Holidays
Holiday Related Cancellations
Look for special instructions if your pickup falls on a holiday closure, which are listed in the FAQ section of your member profile. We will send you an email/ message in advance if your schedule will change due to one of these holidays.
Pickup Only, No New Bucket Drop Off
If you just want your bucket picked up, email us in advance (by 3PM the day before your pickup) and we will do so. This will not result in a refund/credit. It is part of your membership fee.
*The most expensive part of running the service is paying our crew members above minimum wage to swing by your residence. For this reason, we count every stop as a paid stop, even if it’s just to pick up or drop off a bucket.*
New Bucket Drop Off Only, No Pickup
If you just want a bucket dropped off, email us in advance and we will do so. This will not result in a refund/credit. It is part of your membership fee. We can only stop by on your pickup day.
6. Bucket Usage & Bucket Replacements
Missing Buckets
A bucket that is exposed and stays outside for too long tends to disappear (check in with neighbors, your landlord, or building staff if that happens). If you absolutely cannot find it, let us know by noon the day after it was delivered and we will bring you a new bucket the following week free of charge. We can only stop by on your pickup day. If you do not let us know by noon the next day, you can still schedule a new bucket to be delivered, but we will have to charge you for the delivery.
If your buckets are disappearing consistently, let’s talk about a new bucket location or getting you a lock to secure them. Please also talk to your building manager/landlord and neighbors to make sure they understand the purpose of the buckets and aren’t removing them.
Bucket Locks
We offer complimentary bike locks to our members if they are concerned about the bucket being stolen. Buckets can be locked to gates or poles outside of your building. Our driver will text you the combination when they deliver the lock for the first time. Please bring the bucket and lock into your home during the week and then relock the bucket up on your next scheduled pickup day in the same location. When you end your service, the lock will have to be returned during your last pickup.
Please email us if you’d like to request a lock!
Extra Buckets
You can request an extra bucket to be delivered with one of your stops for an additional $5. Please place this request in advance (by 3PM the day before)! You can do so by using the Shop feature in your member portal or emailing us.
You can have an extra bucket delivered just once or you can request an extra bucket be delivered every time we stop by. If you want an extra bucket with each stop moving forward, let us know and we’ll update your account.
Sharing Buckets
If you and a neighbor want to share a bucket, that is not a problem for us! The more people composting the better! However, we will request that only one of you submit your information and pay for the service.
7. Hazardous Conditions Policies
We are committed to the safety of our drivers and may need to cancel services in the event of extreme heat, cold or storm conditions. In the event of a predicted drop in temperature below -10, above 100 or other extreme precipitation/blizzard or flooding conditions we reserve the right to suspend services for the day and issue a refund or rescheduled stop to any affected customers. In the event of predictable weather a notification will be sent out before 3pm the previous day to schedule service changes.
8. Composting Services for your next Event or Party
Do you have an upcoming event that you would like to make a zero-waste event? Here is how we can help:
We supply, deliver and set up large containers the day of your event. These containers look like standard, green trash bins and are equipped with compostable liners.
We will supply signage listing what is / is not compostable and attach these to the lids of the containers.
When the event has concluded, we will transport the containers to one of our processing sites.
We also have a variety of compostable utensils, plates, cups and other common party supplies available for purchase
It is typically required that an Urban Canopy Compost Club staff member be present at the event to monitor the compost bins and assure compliance with the waste sorting.
For more information, please visit our Event Composting page on our website