Penn State Cooperative Extension, in a partnership with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), has developed a statewide backyard composting education program. The goal of the backyard composting program is to promote the recycling and reuse of yard trimmings, leaves, grass, kitchen scraps and other organic materials. County Extension agents and Master Gardener volunteers in counties around the state hold composting workshops every fall, and participants in the workshops receive a free composting bin pictured above (1 bin per household). To date this program has offered nearly 600 workshops in 64 counties and over 20,000 composting bins have been distributed.

During the Spring of 2008, 50 counties will be participating in the program and offering composting workshops and bins. To see if your county is offering workshops this spring, click on participating counties. If workshops are being offered in your county you will see the workshop dates, locations, and contact information.

This program won the 2002 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence.