AUSTIN (KXAN) — In an effort to cut down on the amount of food scraps being sent to Austin’s landfills, the city of Austin is expanding its curbside compost program to more customers. In two months, another 38,000 customers of Austin Resource Recovery will have access to curbside compost collection.

“Almost half of what you have in your trash cart right now could be turned into compost that can be used in gardens, in farming, and can amend our soil.,” said Emlea Chanslor with Austin Resource Recovery.

The pilot program was rolled out in 2013 and until now, served 14,000 Austin Resource Recovery customers. Austin Resource Recovery says more than 15,000 tons of compostable was has been collected since the roll out. They’re expecting those numbers to spike with the additional households.

Vicky Pridgen is passionate about reducing waste. She serves as a Zero Waste block leader keeping her neighbors up to date on ways to reduce waste. She hopes the compost collection program keeps growing.

“If we’re going to get to Zero Waste by 2040, which is the city’s goal, then we have to, as a population, make steps towards getting there,” said Pridgen.

The city says the program only works if people know what to put in the green bins. Food waste, food-soiled paper, pizza boxes and yard trimmings are all compostable. Things like glass and plastic are not.

Phil and Donna Gosh own Organics By Gosh, the company contracted by the city to collect the waste and turn it into compost for sale.

“We got an amazing place, our environment – and Austin in particular,” Phil Gosh said, while expressing his excitement to continue participating in the program. “If we work together we can make it better, and leave it better than when we found it.”

The city has an online map showing which neighbors are currently part of the pilot program, and the ones joining the program on Oct. 2.

The city was originally planning to expand the compost program this summer, but had to push it back to the fall due to contract negotiations.