FAQ

I have questions about:

General Questions

  • Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter, such as leaves and food scraps, into a valuable fertilizer that can enrich soil and plants.

  • While we LOVE when folks compost at home with their own system, not everyone can because of space or simply do not want to. We are here to fill that need and offer a service for those who want to compost but not do all the work. We handle everything, all you do is collect your food scraps and hand them over to the pirates.

  • We take ALL food scraps with the exception of meat, bones, and bulk oils. Check out our What Can I Compost page for the full breakdown!

  • Farmer Pirates Compost operates a compost site on Buffalo’s East Side. Every day after a route, our drivers bring the collected food scraps back to our site. We have a team of people who manage and maintain the compost piles by mixing your food waste with different local carbon sources to create rich “finished” compost to be used on local urban farms and gardens.

  • Yes! We have our commercial and school composting services, where we work with organizations, apartments and businesses of all types and sizes to help you begin to compost.

  • Yes! We open our site for compost sales each year in the spring and fall. Check out our Buy Compost page to see our options and order some compost!

Residential Pick Up Questions

  • At this time we offer service in Buffalo (Free pilot program), and most of the surrounding suburbs! This includes Kenmore, Tonawanda, Amherst, Williamsville, Lancaster, Cheektowaga & Depew and East Aurora. Either submit a bucket pick up area request here or consider signing up for the Neighborhood Drop Off Program!

  • YES! If you live in an apartment building we suggest you talk to the building manager so they know what the “pirate bucket” is all about. It's also a good idea to label your bucket with your apartment number. If your building isn’t cool with this service, check out the Neighborhood Drop Off Program!

  • Your pick up day is determined by where you live in relation to our existing routes. Of course, we aim to make our routes as efficient as possible, so you’ll be slotted in on whichever day we’re already nearest you. You will receive info about your pick up day upon signup!

  • We hate to say it… but no.

  • Nope. Just leave your bucket outside on the day of your pickup and we’ll take care of the rest.

  • When deciding on a bin location, choose a place that is safe and easily accessible for our drivers and where the bucket is visible from the street. The front porch or side door works great. Please no back doors or behind fences, gates or doors.

  • Once we drop off your bucket, it’s yours. Cherish it. We will charge a $10 fee to replace it.

  • We really appreciate you letting us know if you won’t need a pick up on your scheduled day. You can log into your Customer Portal here and "skip" service for the date you do not need a pick up.

  • Change is inevitable isn’t it? Well, if you are moving locally and into an area where we already have a route, then yes, of course. If we don’t have service in that area yet, we will put your membership on hold until we do. (Maybe you could even help spread the word in your new neighborhood, hint hint.)

  • You can get all the details at Betterbin or on our What to Compost flyer. There are the obvious no no's like plastic, glass and metal. Please no meat or bones. Some other not so clear items are corks, gum, kitty litter or dog poop, we can't take it. Rabbit and hamster waste and bedding are fine! If you’re unsure, just ask.

  • Either email us or submit a Cancellation Request on your Customer Portal. Monthly members: We will continue to pick up for the rest of your paid month and cancel your auto payments immediately. Yearly members: You can cancel anytime, but we cannot give partial refunds for early cancellation.

  • Each Spring we offer a small amount of our finished compost back to our pick up and drop off members as a token of our appreciation. This is usually a pickup of a few bags of compost from our site. We'll send out an email in February or March to let you know the details. Please note, free compost is available each Spring and you must be a member for 3 months before you are eligible to receive your giveback.

  • There are a few things we recommend. First try adding a bit of shredded newspaper (b&w only please). You could also try sprinkling on a bit of baking soda to absorb the smell. Finally, if you are going to put something in there that you are quite certain will smell, put it in a bag in the freezer until closer to your pick-up day!

  • Sure! Just reach out to us.

  • Congrats and good luck on your journey! If you're a monthly member you can easily cancel your service when you leave. If you are a yearly member you should cancel but since we don't offer partial year refunds maybe you can gift the rest of your service year to a nearby family member or friend?

Neighborhood Drop Off Questions

  • That’s the beauty of this program - you don’t have to! We wanted to give an option for those who live within or outside of our service areas. Maybe you work near a drop off? or frequent a neighborhood often? Go to the grocery store nearby? See if a current drop off can fit into your routine - unless it is a one of our municipal programs, you do not need to be a resident of an area to sign up for that drop off location. In the meantime, put in a request for a drop off in your area and encourage those around you to do the same and make it happen quicker!

  • Drop off totes are open 24/7 for you to access. After sign up, you will receive our welcome email which includes specific location details on your chosen spot, your spots lock code, and tips for collecting.

  • The frequency is up to you and what works best! Drop-off often or store scraps in the refrigerator/freezer to keep food scraps fresh-ish until you’re ready. We recommend storing scraps in an easy to clean container with a tight fitting lid such as a Tupperware, metal bowl, bucket, etc. Most of us have something at home we can use. If not, we sell our 5 gallon green buckets and liners on your Customer Portal which work great for at home collection!

  • We recommend storing scraps in an easy to clean container with a tight fitting lid such as a Tupperware, metal bowl, bucket, etc. Most of us have something at home we can use. If not, we sell our 5 gallon green buckets and liners on your Customer Portal which work great for at home collection!

  • Yes! As long as they are BPI, TUV or CMA Certified Compostable. Some good choices are Biobag, EcoSafe, and Cleanomics. Unsure? Check the Betterbin app or just ask us!

  • Members may cancel at any time but please note we do not offer partial refunds of any kind. Once the cancellation is submitted via the Customer Portal or in writing to compost@farmerpirates.com, recurring payment will be immediately canceled and members will not be charged again. The member’s subscription will remain active until the end of the current monthly term and member will have access to the tote until that time.

  • Each Spring we offer a small amount of our finished compost back to our bucket pick up and drop off members as a token of our appreciation. This is usually a pickup of a few bags of compost from our site. We'll send out an email in February or March to let you know the details. Please note, free compost is available each Spring and you must be a member for 3 months before you are eligible to receive your giveback.

  • No. Our bins do not have enough capacity for yard waste. Check out your local municipality’s yard waste services to see if pick up or drop off is available to you.

City of Buffalo Pilot Program Questions

  • For this program, it is a weekly service! If you do not think you have enough in your bin one week for a pickup, simply SKIP your pickup using your Customer Portal.

  • If your brown bin doesn't have enough to put out, simply use your Customer Portal to SKIP that week's pickup. Even easier, sign up for text reminders and simply reply SKIP if you don't need the next day's pickup.

    Please note: Our brown totes DO Have a 40 lb weight limit, so keep that in mind when filling your tote and try to remain below this.

  • Simply choose a container to collect in and get going! While prepping meals, toss unused fruit and veggies parts in your collection container. Got leftovers that have gone bad? As long as they don't contain meat, toss them in. Fruits, veggies, breads or dairy gone bad, add them too! Once you are a part of the program, you will receive additional tips and tricks for collecting at home!

  • Due to our truck's limited capacity we can only take what fits into your tote. For City of Buffalo residents, yard waste should be brought to 500 Mineral Springs. Hours are Monday - Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Each Spring & Fall Season, we may offer Special Yard Waste Pickups which can be ordered through your Customer Portal Shop.

  • Absolutely! We just ask two things:

    1. Put in an Address change request through your Customer Portal. We will reach out to confirm the change and notify you of any changes to pickup day.

    2. Take your brown tote with you to your new address and continue composting as normal!

  • First, put in a cancellation request through your Customer Portal. We will reach out to confirm with any follow up instructions. Want to continue composting? We offer our composting services in many towns and suburbs around the Buffalo area.  Check out the rest of our website to see the services we offer!

  • Simply head to your Customer Portal and choose Account & Billing, then choose Request to Cancel. Leave your tote on the front porch or side of the house and a city worker will come by to collect it shortly.

Town of West Seneca Pilot Program Questions

  • This program will allow you to compost without any work or upkeep. You collect your food scraps at home and drop off whenever works for you. Farmer Pirates takes it from there!

    The EPA estimates that 24% of all municipal solid waste is food. Participation in this pilot makes it simple to keep your food scraps out of the landfill and compost them instead.

  • In order to make less trips to the drop off location, you can use a smaller container for daily collection and empty that into a larger container to be used to transport to the drop off. Most of us have something at home we can use. We recommend storing scraps in an easy to clean container with a tight fitting lid such as a Tupperware, metal bowl, bucket, etc.

  • Simply choose a container to collect in and get going! While prepping meals, toss unused fruit and veggies parts in your collection container. Got leftovers that have gone bad? As long as they don't contain meat, toss them in. Fruits, veggies, breads or dairy gone bad, add them too! Once you are a part of the program, you will receive additional tips and tricks for collecting at home!

  • Yes! As long as they are BPI, TUV or CMA Certified Compostable. Some good choices are Biobag, EcoSafe, and Cleanomics. Unsure? Check the Betterbin app or just ask us!

  • Once per week works for most households. If your family produces less or more scraps you may want to come more or less often. We recommend dropping off at least once every 2 weeks.

  • No. Our bins do not have enough capacity for yard waste. Check out your local municipality’s yard waste services to see if pick up or drop off is available to you.

  • Our bins at the drop off location are emptied weekly and kept clean. The latches/locks keep them securely shut. We have yet to receive any feedback or evidence from any of our drop off locations that our bins attract rodents.

  • Reach out either through email, your Customer Portal, or Check In. We appreciate you letting us know so we can open up spots for other residents!

  • Want to continue composting? We offer our composting services in many neighborhoods around the Buffalo area. If you are moving to Williamsville, Amherst, Tonawanda, Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Kenmore, East Aurora, Buffalo or Hamburg reach out or click here to see the services we offer!

Town of Hamburg Subsidized Program Questions

  • This program will allow you to compost without any work or upkeep. You collect your food scraps at home and drop off whenever works for you. Farmer Pirates takes it from there!

    The EPA estimates that 24% of all municipal solid waste is food. Participation in this program makes it simple to keep your food scraps out of the landfill and compost them instead.

  • In order to make less trips to the drop off location, you can use a smaller container for daily collection and empty that into a larger container to be used to transport to the drop off. Most of us have something at home we can use. We recommend storing scraps in an easy to clean container with a tight fitting lid such as a Tupperware, metal bowl, bucket, etc.

  • Simply choose a container to collect in and get going! While prepping meals, toss unused fruit and veggies parts in your collection container. Got leftovers that have gone bad? As long as they don't contain meat, toss them in. Fruits, veggies, breads or dairy gone bad, add them too! Once you are a part of the program, you will receive additional tips and tricks for collecting at home!

  • Yes! As long as they are BPI, TUV or CMA Certified Compostable. Some good choices are Biobag, EcoSafe, and Cleanomics. Unsure? Check the Betterbin app or just ask us!

  • Once per week works for most households. If your family produces less or more scraps you may want to come more or less often. We recommend dropping off at least once every 2 weeks.

  • No. Our bins do not have enough capacity for yard waste. Check out your local municipality’s yard waste services to see if pick up or drop off is available to you.

  • Our bins at the drop off location are emptied weekly and kept clean. The latches/locks keep them securely shut. We have yet to receive any feedback or evidence from any of our drop off locations that our bins attract rodents.

  • Reach out either through email, your Customer Portal, or Check In. We appreciate you letting us know so we can open up spots for other residents!

  • Want to continue composting? We offer our composting services in many neighborhoods around the Buffalo area. If you are moving to Williamsville, Amherst, Tonawanda, Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Kenmore, East Aurora, Buffalo or Hamburg reach out or click here to see the services we offer!