Terms of Service for Our Residential Food Waste Composting
We believe that the little details add up and make a big impact in your composting experience. We’ve gathered the details of our service and made them transparent and accessible to you.
Last Updated on January 1, 2025.
Table of Contents
Section 1: Billing Details
Membership Contact
Billing Period
Missed Payment
Section 2: Service Details
Location of Collection
Time of Collection
Missed Collection
Skips
Bags and Plastics
Address Change
Service Plan Changes
Additional Bin(s) Request
Contamination
Lost/Stolen/Damaged Bin(s)
Extra Compostables
Section 3: Compost Details
Free Compost
Section 4: Cancellation Details
Cancellation
Section 1: Billing Details
Membership Contact Info
Our customers subscribe for service online at midtowncomposting.com and provide designated membership contact information (name, phone number, address, and email), along with credit card information for recurring billing.
Subscribers may be contacted for anything service related and will be contacted for updating billing information and billing errors. Subscriber’s information can be updated via the My Account Dashboard.
You agree to receive informational messages (delivery notifications, account notifications, etc.) from Midtown Composting. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. For help, reply HELP or contact us. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP.
Billing Period
Credit card processing is immediate upon signup and is automatically recurring monthly, quarterly, twice-yearly, or yearly depending on the subscribers selection. Service will automatically renew at the end of every billing period unless the subscriber cancels prior to the charge. Our payment processor is Stripe, a 3rd party platform used by thousands of businesses. We do not store credit card information on our servers. Subscribers can be confident that payment information is secure. Payment information can be updated via the My Account page.
Missed Payment
In the event that payment is declined, the credit card system will reattempt charge up to three more times. An email is sent to subscribers when a charge succeeds and when a subscription charge is declined.
If payment is not received within one week of the due date, the subscriber’s service may be suspended.
Section 2: Service Details
Location of Collection
The subscriber is responsible for having their bucket(s) on the front porch, clearly visible, or in an otherwise agreed upon service location, starting at 7am.
If a subscriber cannot or does not want to leave their bucket(s) on the front porch for collection (if the curb, or near the garage is preferred, for instance) they can contact us to let us know where the bucket will permanently be and we will note the file.
The bucket(s) shall remain in the designated location until collection. If the bucket(s) cannot be put in it’s designated location, the subscriber is responsible for providing an accurate description of where their bucket(s) will be located by 5pm the prior day. If the bucket(s) are not located in the designated location at the time of collection, it may result in a missed collection [see below]. Bucket(s) location can be updated by contacting us.
Time of Collection
Under normal circumstances, our routes begin as at 7:30am and may end as late as 9:00pm. During abnormal circumstances we may start before 7am (arriving at our first home as early as 7am), and we occasionally need to work through the night.
And, at times, we don’t finish route. In the event we failed to finish our route we will finish as early as possible the next day.
Due to route variability, we are unable to guarantee a set time of collection on each service day, but subscribers are automatically opted-in upon signing up to receive text messages that contain route update links, sent on the morning of the route day (typically around 7am). If the bucket(s) are not located in their proper location(s) at the time of collection, it may result in a missed collection without refund [see below]. Estimated times for when the driver will be there are estimates only, and often not accurate due to traffic conditions and the many other variables that can affect when we arrive.
Missed Collection
It is the responsibility of the subscriber to ensure their bucket(s) are located at service location on their service day. If we are unable to locate the bucket(s), or they are inaccessible (i.e. building is locked, buzz code not working, gates closed, road closures, unable to bypass security), the subscriber will be notified with an image of the missed collection. If the missed collection is our fault we will reschedule or adjust payment to compensate for the week. The subscriber has 24 hours from the end of the route day to let us know that their collection was missed.
Skips
If a subscriber wants to skip a collection, they can contact us prior to their collection day, but while it is appreciated, this is not necessary. We do not give discounts or refunds for skips, but subscribers may pause their account for any period three weeks or longer. It is a good idea to also contact us when ever these changes are made, or to let us make these changes for you.
Bags, and Plastics, and “Biodegradable”
We want to be very clear here:
No plastics!!!
Bags and to-go packaging must be labeled “compostable” and not simply “biodegradable”. Biodegradable is not the same as compostable, nor do they necessarily biodegrade in a timely manner. The term “biodegradable” simply means it’s made with plant based materials, and typically, this process is more negatively impactful to the environment than conventional plastics.
The only non-compostable plastics that are involved in our collections are the bucket and the lid. Never put food waste into anything plastic. We provide a compostable bag with the bucket. If it is missing, use a paper bag, another compostable bag, or just use the bucket. We cannot stress this enough, DO NOT USE PLASTIC BAGS, DO NOT GIVE US ANY PLASTIC TO DEAL WITH, WE WON’T TOUCH IT.
Address Change
If a subscriber needs to change their address, they should contact us at least 1 week before their move date to ensure collection at their new address. Subscribers may change their information themselves, on the My Account page, but should also contact us and let us know. The system does not tell us when these changes are made.
Extra Food Waste
Do not put extra food waste in plastic bags. Extra food waste can be put next to the bucket(s), put into a paper bag, an un-taped box, or a compostable bag (extra rolls are available for purchase) to be picked up. There is a charge. Subscribers may purchase Extra Residential Food Waste ahead of time, or if we see extra food waste at pickup, we will charge for it accordingly.
Service Plan Changes
Subscriptions can be changed or cancelled at any time [see below for more information on the cancellation process]. Plan changes are prorated based on the subscriber’s billing period. Service plans can be changed or cancelled via the My Account page.
Contamination
If we see contamination, we may not pick up the bucket(s). If we do not pickup due to contamination we will take a picture. We will not reschedule collections due to contamination. We ask that the subscriber throws the food waste away to start over, or eliminates all of the contamination.
Due to previous problems in this area, this is another section where we need to be emphatic:
If we see contamination, there is usually more we cannot see. Subscribers often tell us that we should have taken the bucket and “just pull it out, it’s right on top!” We’re not fishing through collection buckets, and we’re not managing nasty plastic trash. This becomes untenable very quickly!
If the subscriber cannot be sure that the bucket is free of contamination, we ask that the subscriber throws away the waste to simply start over.
Lost/Stolen/Damaged Bucket(s), Bins, and Lid(s)
If a bucket, bin, or lid is lost, damaged or stolen, the subscriber will receive a complimentary replacement for the first time. After that, there may be a charge for each lost bin, bucket, and/or lid. Bins are between $35 and $95 depending on the bin, buckets are $5, and lids are $2.
Pizza Boxes
Pizza boxes can be left on, under, or near the bucket(s). Do not leave pizza savers in the box (those three-legged little white tables that keep the pizza from being crushed).
Section 3: Finished Compost Details
Compost Delivery
Subscribers may order 20 gallons or 2 cubit feet of compost for free every year. They typically come in 5 gallon buckets.
Section 4: Cancellation Details
Cancellation
While we hope our subscribers continue building healthy soil with us forever, we understand that cancelling service may be required. Members can cancel their service at any time. Cancellation should be done via the My Account page and please also contact us as well to make sure we got it. You can also just contact us and we’ll cancel it.
Refunds
No refunds are issued for cancellations. Other refunds may be issues on a case by case basis.
*These Terms of Service are subject to change. subscribers will be notified of any Terms of Service changes.*