Carter's Compost

Recycling Center in Traverse City, Michigan

📍 Carter's Compost, Downtown, Traverse City, MI 49684
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📞 +1 231-268-0093 🌐 Visit Website 🗺 Get Directions

About This Location

Carter's Compost runs Traverse City's only dedicated food-scrap composting service, with a public pay-as-you-throw drop-off bin at Rotary Square in downtown for just $4 per dump — no subscription needed.

What this location Accepts

✓ Fruit and vegetable scraps
✓ Grains, bread, and pasta
✓ Coffee grounds and paper coffee filters
✓ Tea bags (paper)
✓ All food scraps (commercial accounts only, including meat and dairy)
✓ BPI-certified compostable food-contact items (commercial accounts only)

Related recycling guides: Yard Waste · Cardboard & Paper

What they do not accept

✕ Plastic bags (including bags labeled 'compostable')
✕ Produce stickers
✕ Bread ties
✕ Meat and dairy (residential subscriptions only — allowed for commercial)
✕ Non-BPI-certified compostable packaging

Fees

  • Public drop-off (Rotary Square) — $4 per dump
  • Weekly curbside subscription — $24/month
  • Bi-weekly curbside subscription — $12/month
  • Income-qualified (equity) rate — $4/week curbside
  • Commercial pickup (per cart per week) — $15 (multi-cart discounts to $10)

Programs & events

  • Elk Rapids Drop-Off — Year-round drop-off at Village Compactor in Elk Rapids; $12/month subscription with optional compost returns.
  • Interlochen Seasonal Drop-Off — Seasonal composting drop-off at Interotten in Interlochen.
  • City of Traverse City Pilot — Carter's Compost partnered with the City of Traverse City on a food waste reduction pilot project.

Materials, fees and hours can change — call ahead to confirm before your visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to subscribe to drop off food scraps at Carter's Compost in Traverse City?

No. The downtown Rotary Square bin is open to anyone — pay $4 per visit via QR code. No membership or subscription is needed, making it convenient for occasional users, downtown workers, or visitors to the farmers market.

Can I compost meat and dairy through Carter's Compost?

Only if you are a commercial account (restaurant, caterer, coffee shop, etc.). Residential curbside and drop-off customers are limited to vegetative scraps, grains, bread, pasta, coffee grounds, paper tea bags, and coffee filters.

Does Carter's Compost accept compostable plastic bags or packaging?

No — not even bags labeled 'compostable.' The composter cannot handle them, and they slow decomposition. Bring scraps in any reusable container; empty the contents into the bin and take your container home.

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Other Recycling Centers in Traverse City

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Contact & Location

📍
Address
Carter's Compost, Downtown, Traverse City, MI 49684
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City / State
Traverse City, Michigan

Opening Hours

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