Buy compost

Service
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) composts more than 5,000 tons of leaves collected through the city's Leaf Day program each year. Removing leaves from our streets is critical to keeping streets safe from clogged storm drains, flooded intersections, and slippery streets.

Before you visit

We only accept cash or credit card. No personal checks please.

Please review our price list and minimums below.

Visit our Sunderland Yard facility

Price List

Product/ServiceCost
Asphalt and Concrete Tipping ($4 minimum, CLEAN: No wood or metal)$4 per ton for a clean load
3/4"-0 Recycled Concrete Rock$10 per ton
Screened Dirt (not recommended for gardens or as topsoil substitute)Free
Compost ($12 / 0.5 cubic yard minimum)*$24 per cubic yard*

A cubic yard of compost typically fits into a full-size pickup.

Every other month the final compost is monitored for quality, maturation, and sizing, per the United States Compost Council’s (USCC) monitoring guidelines. The facility has been a member of the USCC since 2007.

Sunderland Yard Recycling Facility does not accept yard debris or wood products.

More about Portland's Leaf Day Compost

The City of Portland's Leaf Day leaf collection program begins early November and runs through mid-December. This program focuses on picking up the leaves that fall onto the streets. Removing leaves from streets helps reduce slippery road conditions, increasing the safety of motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Street leaf removal also reduces street flooding caused by clogged catch basins (grated storm drains). The City infrastructure also benefits from the reduced amount of leaves entering the storm drains.

Our compost turner has a restacking system that allows for a single pass for turning and restacking the compost. During the turning process, the compost is aerated and, because of our frequent rainfall, water is added. The temperature and moisture content of the composting leaves are monitored daily to determine when to turn the pile to facilitate the composting process.

The final compost product is used by City crews for soil amendment (mixed with soil in areas in preparation for revegetation), erosion control in areas with exposed soil (e.g., roadside ditches and maintenance projects, etc.), donated to community gardens, and sold to the public.

Contact

Sunderland Yard

PBOT Maintenance Operations

Location