Question: I was wondering if you know the phone number to call in Santa Monica to get a free black composter. My friend told me I should be able to get one. Thanks — Siridyal

Answer: It ain’t free, unfortunately. Still, composters are cheap in Santa Monica! For $25 ($27.06 including tax), you can get a BioStack Home Composter AND a how-to compost book from the City’s Solid Waste Management Division. [Update: You can also get a Wriggly Wranch worm composter for the same price]

Just stop by the Solid Waste Management Division at 2500 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica, during office hours (Mon – Thu, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm; Fri, 8 am – 5 pm) with cash or a check made out to City Of Santa Monica. I advise also taking some proof of residency. Call the division at 310.458.2223 if you still have questions.

Los Angeles residents too can get a composter at dirt cheap prices. The L.A. Bureau of Sanitation will let you choose from 3 different composters: a $5 worm bin, a $20 Earth Machine Composter, or a $45 BioStack Home Composter (same as the one sold by the City of Santa Monica, except $20 more expensive).

You will, however, need to make plans to get these composters during a Composting Bin Sales Event, which only happen twice a month at the Griffith Park Composting Education Facility, 5400 Griffith Park Dr., Los Angeles. Have cash or check and proof of L.A. residency in hand.

If you’re a composting newbie, you can plan your trip to coincide with the free home composting workshops, held on the fourth Saturday of the month from 10 am – noon (check the schedule before you go; sometimes they get canceled).

Despite these city resources, I have yet to buy a composter because no indoor composters are offered [Update: Yes they are!]. Apartment composting’s hard to do –

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