The Departments of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) and Environment (DOE) announced the City’s Backyard Composting Bin Giveaway to provide free backyard compost bins to Chicago residents living in homes with four units or less. Starting this week, residents may request a free compost bin using an online form. Once eligibility is confirmed, City staff will deliver a free compost bin to the residents’ homes. Every ward will receive an initial allocation of 20 bins to kick off the program. These bins allow residents to turn materials such as fruit/vegetable scraps, fall leaves, and grass clippings into compost through natural decomposition. Microbes feed on organic matter in the presence of air and water, causing decomposition. Free compost bins are available to eligible residents while supplies last. If the number of requests exceeds the number of bins available per ward, names will be added to a waiting list, and residents will be notified by email if more bins become available. Chicago residents can compost all food scraps (including meat, bones, dairy, and cooked foods) by participating in Chicago’s Food Scrap Drop-Off Program, which now features 20 locations. For more information on the backyard compost bin giveaway and all city recycling and composting programs, please visit www.chicagorecycles.org.