What do cities do with all of that compost?

It depends upon the city and the arrangements they've made with local contractors or city agencies. Seattle's video says the compost is "for our local parks and gardens." http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Yard/Yard_Waste_Collection/index. read more

Sunnyvale's compost (generally from yard waste rather than food scraps) and mulch is is available free to residents of Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, and Mountain View. They have a haul-it-yourself area set up with shovels. I suspect the city also uses some of its compost and mulch in landscaping parks and other city facilities. read more

Composting may have its roots in backyard piles of mowed grass and musty leaves or leftovers from dinner, but nowadays the game has changed. Entire cities are engaging in massive composting efforts, but one city in particular is leading the rest -- and by a fairly impressive margin. read more

According to EarthShare, more than 150 U.S. cities now offer curbside composting as a public service, to go along with trash collection and recycling. However, if you’re not one of the lucky ones, there are plenty of private compost pickup companies that will do this for you. read more