What can be composted?
We can compost anything biodegradable. Bread, dairy, meat, cooked foods, fruit pits, and coffee are all fine. Paper products are especially welcome. We cannot legally take pet waste, as there is a chance of transmitting disease through the finished compost. We are asking that you do not include anything plastic, including “compostable bags” which often don’t actually break down, and often contain chemicals poisonous to the finished soil. For more information download our Informational poster in PDF format.
How do I pay for the service?
It depends on your situation. For our business clients, we can invoice at a frequency that suits you best. Most of our commercial clients prefer a monthly invoice so this is what we do by default. Also many of our residential clients prefer to send us cheques.
Cheques can be made out to ‘Pedal to Petal’. Our mailing address is;
1625 Fort St.
Box 5040
V8R 6N3
We also accept Paypal, email money transfer, and then of course there is always leaving a baggie of cash with the bucket if it suits you. Please do not hesitate to inquire about what payment option works for you!
Do you operate through winter?
Yes, Pedal to Petal is operates 12 months a year, five days a week, including most holidays. Sometimes it may be necessary for us to postpone our routes due to extreme weather and cyclist safety reasons, and when this happens we will send out an email explaining the situation and we will perform the route at the earliest possible time thereafter.
My lid is very hard to open when the bucket is sealed. How do I properly open the compost bucket?
The trick to opening our buckets is to pull out on the rim of the lid, rather than up. Work your way around the perimeter of the pail until the lid comes off. It may help a lot to use a rag or washcloth to save your fingers! Just a tip, adding shredded paper or sawdust as you fill the bucket will control odor and you really shouldn’t need to ever completely seal the bucket.
Do you have a central location for drop offs?
No, we operate no central location. We have a network of small scale compost sites which allow us to disseminate thousands of pounds of nutrient-rich compost throughout the city without the use of fossil fuels.
How can I be involved in SPIN farming?
In many ways! Just contact us if you are interested in donating your time or garden space to our cause. We are eager to hear from you, so please don’t be shy! Everything helps.
What happens to the finished compost?
The majority of the finished compost is currently donated to urban farms around the city and used in our SPIN farming initiative. Your support of Pedal to Petal compost pickup is an active and direct way to support local urban agriculture.
Do you sell finished compost back?
The short answer is, no. The vast majority of our compost is donated to urban farmers within the city of Victoria, and selling finished compost isn’t the focus of our business model. We do sometimes make arrangements to sell small batches of compost to individuals request it, so feel free to inquire via email.
Will you come manage my pre-existing compost bin?
Possibly. If you have built a large rat-proof compost system that you don’t produce enough biomass for to fill quickly, we could absorb it into our network. There is no charge and you are allowed to keep up to 100% of the compost produced if you wish. Otherwise we will use it for our own urban farming projects.
What areas do you service?
We service essentially the entire Victoria area! This includes Esquimalt, Saanich, Oak Bay, James Bay, etc. Please directly inquire to find out about service to your area.
It looks like you’re raised the price. My household isn’t financially able to commit to $7.99/per-bucket. Will I lose my service if I continue paying your old price?
No, absolutely not. Historically, we have operated on a sliding scale. We have chosen this price as a guideline as it’s a number that allows our business to operate with sustainability and also pay our cyclists a fair wage. In the past, many customers have chosen to give us $10 per pickup, sometimes even more. If you are financially unable to commit to $7.99 but still feel strongly about composting with us we are willing to negotiate a lower price in a case-by-case basis, so please do not hesitate talk to us, we are friendly!