Composting at home in Stavanger

Reduced waste collection fees

Households that compost food and garden waste at home instead of using the brown or green waste bins can receive a reduction in waste collection fees. This applies to both hot composting and bokashi composting. The offer does not apply to cabins/holiday homes.

If you compost both food and garden waste at home, your waste collection fee is reduced by 994 NOK. If you compost food waste but still have a bin for garden waste, the reduction is 496 NOK.

The conditions for the fee reduction are:

• You have a type of compost or bokashi bin approved by the municipality.
• Your compost bin is insulated for year-round use.
• You do not throw food and garden waste in other bins.
• You no longer have a brown bin for food waste.
• You do not live in a housing cooperative or condominium.
• You do not use shared waste solutions, such as underground waste containers.

Send us an email if you want to apply for this program. Include your address information and attach a copy of the receipt and/or a picture of your composting equipment.

Courses and guidance on home composting

We hold composting courses every spring and autumn. The courses are organized in collaboration with neighboring municipalities and take place at Ullandhaug Organic Farm (Ullandhaug økologiske gård).

New course dates for autumn 2024 will be posted as soon as they are available.

You can sign up via the website hentavfall.no.

Refund when purchasing an approved compost bin

You can apply for a rebate on your compost bin or bokashi bin. You can get a refund for half the purchase price, up to 1000 NOK per compost bin.

• The bin must be approved for food waste composting. This means it must be sealed and insulated with at least 5 cm of insulation. The municipality has to approve the bin.
• Stavanger Municipality may conduct unannounced inspections to ensure the bin meets the requirements for food waste composting.
• You must compost year-round, including in winter.
• You must reside in Stavanger Municipality.
• The bin must be located at a private residence or holiday home in Stavanger Municipality.
• You must apply for a refund within one year of the purchase.
• You must attach the receipt of the purchase.
• The information you provide must be complete and accurate.

We’ve compiled a list of approved hot compost and bokashi bins, but there are many more. If you’re unsure whether your bin is approved, send an email to tilbakemelding.renovasjon@stavanger.kommune.no with the subject line "Kompostbeholder".

Cold composting

You can compost garden waste in an open bin or a pile in your garden, but note that this does not qualify for a waste fee reduction.

Two local companies, which provide supported employment opportunities, produce cold compost bins on behalf of Stavanger Municipality, as shown in the picture below. The municipality sells these bins at a reduced price of 500 NOK. Send an email to place an order. The bin measures 65 x 65 cm and is about one meter tall.

Composting is great for the environment

• Read more about home composting and how you can make your garden more environmentally friendly (page is in Norwegian).

The compost bin is made from untreated wood, with good ventilation between the boards and a lower hatch for removing the composted soil.