It will take you approximately 15 minutes to pick up your compost allocation. Appointments are booked in 20-minute intervals, so please arrive on time for your appointment. We appreciate your patience during the pick-up process.
Composting
Have you ever wondered what happens after you toss food scraps and yard waste into your green bin? Organic materials collected through the curbside collection program are transported to a local composting facility, Convertus, where they are transformed into nutrient-rich compost.
Compost is a valuable soil amendment that helps improve soil health, retain moisture, and support healthy plant growth. It can be used in gardens, flower beds, around trees and shrubs, and on lawns to add organic matter and nutrients back into the soil. Applying compost in the spring helps prepare soil for the growing season, while fall applications help replenish nutrients and improve soil over winter, turning yesterday's food scraps and yard waste into tomorrow's healthy gardens.
By participating in curbside organics collection, residents help turn everyday food scraps and yard waste into a valuable resource that can be returned to local communities and used to support healthy gardens and landscapes.
Community Compost Giveaway
The RDN is partnering with the City of Nanaimo to host our first Community Compost Giveaway. Eligible residents can pick up free compost produced from locally collected organic materials and learn more about composting, organics recycling, and related RDN and City of Nanaimo programs and services.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Nanaimo Curling Club Parking Lot
Eligibility: RDN residents only
Cost: Free
How It Works
1) Book a pickup appointment.
2) Pack your own containers, buckets, or bins.
3) Drive to the event site during your scheduled time.
4) Load your compost.
5) Take it home and put it to use in your yard or garden.
What to Bring
- Buckets, bins, totes, or other containers
- Gloves (optional)
- A tarp to keep your vehicle clean (optional)
What NOT to Bring
- Plastic bags for loading compost
- Oversized trailers unless approved in advance
How to use your compost
- For vegetable gardens and flower beds, apply 2 cm (3/4" in) of compost and work into the soil.
- For new beds add 2 - 5 cm (3/4" to 2" in) of compost and work into the soil to 12 cm (4 3/4" in) in depth, plant and water accordingly.
- For top dressing apply 1 to 2 cm (1/2" to 3/4" in) of compost to the lawn and lightly rake the compost into the grass.
When to apply:
Compost can be applied any time of year, but spring and fall are the most common times. Spring applications help prepare soil for the growing season, while fall applications help replenish nutrients and improve soil over winter.
Event FAQs
You can take up to 100 litres of compost per household. The compost must be shoveled into your containers or vehicle (no mechanical equipment is allowed).
This equals to roughly:
- Five 20 litre (5 gallon) buckets
- Two 50 litre plastic tubs
One 75 litre garbage pail + One 20 litre bucket
Any combination of containers is allowed. Standard passenger vehicles, SUVs, and pickup trucks are welcome. Trailers and commercial vehicles are not permitted.
Reminder: Please consider the weight of the compost when choosing your containers and vehicle. Only take as much compost as you can safely load, transport, and unload at home.
Please bring:
- Buckets, bins, totes, or containers for transporting compost
- A shovel or scoop
- Gloves (optional)
- A tarp to protect your vehicle (optional)
Staff will check you in for your appointment and make sure you stay within the 100 litre limit.
The compost is made from food scraps and yard waste collected through the Regional District of Nanaimo and City of Nanaimo’s curbside collection programs. Materials such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings, leaves, and other compostable materials are recycled into compost instead of being landfilled.
Yes. The composting process is designed to meet the requirements of British Columbia's Organic Matter Recycling Regulation (OMRR). During the process, the compost reaches temperatures that destroy pathogens, weed seeds, and other unwanted organisms, producing a safe, high-quality finished compost.
No. Registration is required before the event and helps manage traffic flow, reduce wait times, and ensure enough compost is available for participants.
Yes. Please provide the original registration details upon check-in.
If you’re unable to make your scheduled appointment, please cancel your appointment to allow the timeslot to be offered to others. You can cancel your appointment using the "Reschedule" button in your confirmation email. If other times are available, you can choose a new timeslot.
The compost giveaway is an outdoor event and will take place rain, snow or shine.
We will do our best to accommodate late arrivals, but compost cannot be guaranteed and missed appointments cannot be rescheduled. If you are unable to attend, please cancel your registration as far in advance as possible so another resident can participate.
The event will proceed rain or shine unless severe weather or other unforeseen circumstances require cancellation. Cancelations will be communicated via the email provided during registration.