Frequently Asked Questions

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free composting services in New Jersey, with plans to expand to the rest of the United States in the future.

When you sign up, we deliver a 5-gallon Torus bucket and compostable bag liners to your doorstep within a week.

Torus offers free compost pickup in select areas of Central New Jersey. Check our website for the full list of locations we serve. We're continuously working to expand our service area.

Please refer to our Acceptable Food Waste page for a detailed list of items that can be composted.

You can buy the compostable bags we recommend here!

Help us grow by referring friends, family, or community members. Share our signup form or website link and encourage them to join our mission.

We are funded primarily through tax-deductible donations and grants, which allow us to offer free compost pickups. If you know of any available grants or would like to support us further, please contact us.

Donations are vital to maintaining our free service. While others charge up to $20 per pickup, your contributions keep our service accessible to everyone.

Torus is actively seeking grants of any size. Please reach out to anthony@torusai.org, and you can expect a reply by the end of the business day. We look forward to working with you!

The collected food waste is delivered to a state-of-the-art facility, Trenton Renewables, where it is turned into biogas. This process allows us to accept more types of food waste than many other composting services.

Currently, individual drop-offs are not allowed at the Trenton Renewables facility. We consolidate food waste from households and businesses to enable efficient processing.

If you need an extra bucket, contact us and we'll arrange delivery as soon as possible.

We send a reminder email before each scheduled pickup. Please confirm that your bucket is placed outside by the specified time to minimize missed pickups.

If you’re unable to leave your bucket out on the scheduled pickup day, please let us know. We can pause service for you. Just email us, and we’ll ensure your compost pickup is resumed when you return.

If twenty or more households in your community express interest outside our current service area, we'll provide each with a bucket and compostable bags. Bi-weekly pickups will be arranged, and the service will remain free. Buckets will be delivered once ten households are reached within a 2-mile radius.

Please contact us at torusfoodwaste@gmail.com and patiently expect a reply.