Findlay Market started an internal composting program in 2010. Over the last ten years, we have been able to divert several thousand tons of food waste by accepting food waste internally from merchants alone. In 2021, Findlay Market received two grants that have allowed us to expand our composting program so we can receive food waste from the public. 

Findlay Market wants to thank the Hamilton County Waste Reduction Grant and the Ohio EPA Recycling & Litter Prevention Grant for providing the financial support to jumpstart this program! 

In 2024 Findlay Market partnered with Queen City Commons, a local nonprofit that specializes in food scrap collection services for both businesses and residents. They collaborate with local farms and gardens to transform food scraps into compost. 

We will continue to gather compost from our community members and businesses around Findlay Market for Queen City Commons to take off site, and they will continue to aggregate the compost.

The good news is that there won’t be any major changes to the process for our members. 

This partnership does offer opportunities to expand the types of materials we can accept, which you can find below. 

Please see the following details about the Residential Composting Program: 

• The program is $10.00 a month or $55.00 for a six-month commitment. Membership includes: 

  • A 5-gallon composting container for at-home use. 

  • Cleaning service for the container during drop-off. 

• Drop off will occur during Findlay Market hours at the Market Center, which is located in the center of the Markethouse. Findlay Market is open Tuesday - Friday from 9 am - 6 pm, Saturday from 8 am - 6 pm, and Sunday from 10 am - 4 pm. 

• Residents can drop-off as often or as infrequent as they want, depending on how quickly they produce food waste and fill the provided bucket. 

All revenue produced by the program will go directly back into the Composting Program and other sustainability initiatives at Findlay Market. 

If you have any additional questions, please email the Outdoor Market and Programs Manager, Carly Hayes at chayes@findlaymarket.org.