Composting Made Easy

The Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA), in partnership with Elements Mountain Compost, has made it simple and convenient for residents to cut down on food waste that enters the landfill.

Sign Up Today

You can take small steps to increase the diversion rate of compostable material by participating in a new community composting program available in Salida and Buena Vista.

Register online through the GARNA website. The cost is $6/month, with a minimum 6-month commitment, plus a $5 one-time registration fee. Once registration is complete, you’ll receive an email with the location and lock code to enter the composting station. Be sure to read the full list of accepted and prohibited items before using the compost stations.

County Waste Audit Results

In 2020, a county-wide waste audit was completed by GARNA with grant funding from the Chaffee County Community Foundation. The audit included several recommendations to reduce the amount of waste that enters the landfill, including exploring ways to divert compostable materials.

Most yard debris, construction dirt and green waste can easily be composted and turned into nutrient-rich soil. Making this single change would divert more than 2,000 tons from the landfill annually. Chaffee County’s Diversion Rate was 8.1% in 2018 and 7.3% in 2019. GARNA, Elements Mountain Compost, the City of Salida and the City’s Sustainability Committee, are working together to increase the local diversion rate to 15% by 2023 and 20% by 2025. Your participation in the community composting program will reduce waste that enters the landfill and help us achieve our sustainability goals and the recommendations outlined in the recent county-wide waste audit.