Reducing Contamination at Community Composting Sites

Contamination is a major challenge for composting at all scales, often requiring significant investments of labor, time, and money to manage. This free course introduces best practices for reducing contamination at community-based sites processing food scraps to create high-quality compost, including for food production.

Please note: The course is self-led and can be taken at any time.

The Reducing Contamination at Community Composting Sites course and associated materials cover:

• Common contaminants and potential sources
• Solutions for avoiding and managing contamination
• Developing a contamination management plan
• Conducting a contamination audit

The course consists of two 30-minute video modules that introduce key concepts and share models from composting sites and programs around the U.S. Each module is followed by a knowledge check and a certificate of completion is provided upon passing a final exam. The course is accompanied by two Composting Site Operator Learning Activities to deepen understanding and guide hands-on application.