Etrog Composting

Etrog composting is a beautiful way to practice the mitzvah of Bal Taschit, which prohibits wastefulness and encourages the responsible use of resources. After Sukkot, many people have etrogim (citron fruits) that are no longer needed for the holiday celebrations. Instead of discarding them in the trash, composting the etrogim transforms them into nutrient-rich soil, keeping them in the growth cycle, and out of landfills.

By composting, you honor the etrog’s holy (Kadosh) purpose and prevent it from going to waste. You can read more about Composting and the Mitzvah of Bal Taschit here.

Yes! According to international etrog experts that GrowTorah consulted with, etrogim may be composted even though they are treated with chemical pesticides and herbicides since the concentrations of these chemicals is incredibly low. 

1. Your school compost tumbler can handle a few etrogim which our educators will use to teach your students about the process. The majority of the etrogim will be composted at GrowTorah HQ and will be brought back into your schools ecosystem to feed the garden once it has completely broken down. 

2. For our Anafim Schools (schools outside the NYC area), educators have coordinated for the etrogim to be composted elsewhere. 

This helps GrowTorah keep track of how many etrogim are coming our way. It also helps YOU keep track of your etrog. We will send out seasonal messages to all registered etrog composters, with a status update until your etrog is fully turned into fertilizer (aka plant food) and added back into our school gardens!

Nope! This program is free of charge to all who participate. We welcome your donations to support GrowTorah’s efforts here. 

Yes, please! We want to make sure each site is fully set up for success (so we can track the etrogim appropriately!) Please email shoshi@growtorah.org to register your organization as an etrog drop-pff site.