Free compost available during Rotterdam's Compost Week: turn waste into plant food
From March 23 to 28, Rotterdam residents can collect free compost made from food scraps. This initiative helps reduce waste incineration and provides natural fertilizer for gardens and city greenery, benefiting both households and local farmers.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Compost Week |
| Dates | March 23–28, 2026 |
| Free Compost Availability | Yes, at neighborhood green initiatives and environmental parks |
| VGF Waste Collected (2025) | 1,500,000 kilograms |
| Composting Duration | 6–7 weeks |
| Compost Use | City greenery, local farmers |
| Location | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| National Compost Day | March 28 |
The Municipality of Rotterdam manages waste collection and recycling programs to promote sustainability and reduce environmental impact. By converting food scraps into compost, the municipality supports urban greenery and local agriculture while encouraging residents to participate in waste reduction efforts.
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From food scraps to compost
During Compost Week from March 23 to 28, you can collect compost for free. This compost is made from vegetable, fruit, and food scraps that you can separate and dispose of. But how does it actually work: turning food scraps into plant food?
About a third of our daily household waste consists of vegetable, fruit, and food scraps, abbreviated as VGF. If we simply throw this away with the residual waste, it gets incinerated. That’s a shame, because you can also turn it into compost: a natural fertilizer for plants, shrubs, and trees.
VGF in separate bins
Increasingly, residents of gallery flats, stairwell apartments, and apartments can dispose of VGF waste in separate bins. Last year, 1,500,000 kilograms of VGF waste were collected this way.
This VGF waste is transported to the municipality’s composting facility. There, machines grind the waste into small pieces. It then takes 6 to 7 weeks to compost. This is a process in which bacteria and fungi convert the waste into compost.
The municipality uses the compost for the city’s greenery. Farmers in the region also make use of it.
Collect compost for free
During Compost Week, the municipality is giving away compost for free to residents. This week, you can collect free compost at green initiatives in your neighborhood. On National Compost Day, March 28, you can also pick up a bag of compost for free at one of the six environmental parks.
See the page about gratis compost for more information and the locations and times when you can collect compost.