Household Composting: FoodCycle at Home

Photo of garden with Bucket Program bucket in foreground

Serving the Tucson Community by Reducing Household Food Waste

The Compost Cats Bucket Program is merging with the City of Tucson’s FoodCycle at Home Program. Our program has diverted over 200,000 pounds of household food waste and continues to expand. To join the FoodCycle at Home Program follow the link below or call our Campus & Community Outreach Coordinator, Kenzie Jackson, at 520-621-7817 for more information.

Start Composting

FoodCycle at Home

Starting March 8th, the Compost Cats Bucket Program is merging with the City of Tucson’s FoodCycle at Home Program! This merger, operating under the FoodCycle at Home name, allows us to expand composting across the city and increase education and training for our community.

The FoodCycle at Home Program is a residential food waste collection and composting program operated by Environmental Services and the University of Arizona Compost Cats.

To join the FoodCycle at Home Program, please go to the City of Tucson Website to sign up for a training session, get your FREE bucket, and start composting!

Please contact Kenzie Jackson at 520-621-7817 or [email protected] for any questions on this program or composting in your community. 

 

Bucket Program/FoodCycle at Home History

The Bucket Program began as a three-phase pilot project in August 2020. By the end of Phase III, the program had successfully served over 100 Tucson community members, finishing the pilot period with over 11,600 pounds of food waste collected and diverted from Tucson’s landfills.

Due to the success of the pilot program, and the never-ending line of students and community members interested in reducing their food waste, the Bucket Program became a paid service in August 2021. As a paid service, the program helped to cover our costs and ensure we can keep up with growing demand. 

In March 2025, the Bucket Program and the City of Tucson's FoodCycle at Home program merged. This merger, operating under the FoodCycle at Home name, allows us to expand composting opportunities across the city and increase education and training for our community, all at no cost! Our program continues to grow, and we welcome you to grow with us! 

FAQs

Instead of ending up in the landfill, your food scraps will be used to create compost, a valuable resource that can be incorporated into our community! Most of the compost made from the will enhance the food grown in local community gardens, such as the U of A Community Garden, Tucson Village Farm, and Community Gardens of Tucson. Some of the compost will be reserved for FoodCycle at Home participants to use in their home gardens!
Moldy food is fantastic to put in your bucket! Mold is just the start of decomposition and will die off as the compost heats up during the process.
Ask us! You can email us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram or Facebook, and we can answer your questions.
Compost enriches the soil by improving moisture retention, suppressing plant diseases, discouraging pests, and lessening soil erosion. In addition to these benefits that promote healthier plant growth, compost is also loaded with the essential nutrients that plants need to survive!

Make a difference in your community and become a leader in reducing food waste! Contact [email protected].