Convertus Advanced Aeration Composting Facility

The Manassas facility was designed to minimize the region’s environmental footprint while producing top-quality renewable resources in a safe and sustainable manner. Previously owned by Freestate Farms, this site became Convertus’ second facility in the United States and marks a key milestone as the first to offer products directly to customers. Using cutting-edge Aerated Static Pile (“ASP”) technology, the facility processing times range from 60 to 75 days, a process that is 4-5x faster than windrow composting. Annually, up to100,00 tonnes of green bin waste is converted into compost, mulch, and soil amendments.

Explore Our Manassas Products

Looking to purchase high-quality compost and soil products? Visit our Manassas product page to learn more about what’s available.

Premium. Local. Sustainable.

Our landscaping products take the guesswork out of finding certified, premium and local landscaping supplies. And, with our focus on making our local soils healthier in a sustainable way, your garden, our community, and the environment can grow together.

Click below to learn about the products we offer.

The Manassas Difference

Safer for People, Pets, and Plants

No manure. No human waste. No fertilizers. Just the good stuff.

Better Ingredients, Better Compost

We add nutrient-rich food scraps to the local yard-waste recipe to feed your plants and lawns.

Growing a Greener Future Together

Farmer-founded to help make local soils healthier and our community more sustainable.

Our Compost Guide

Finding a Good Compost

Compost has gained a lot of attention and attracted a number of new products to the market. How can you make sure that what you’re buying is really compost or, even better, a high-quality compost? These are some best practices to find the right compost for you.

Why use
Compost?

  • Grow Better Plants
  • Easier to Use
  • Save Money
  • Help the Environment

Soil health is perhaps the most important thing to creating healthy, beautiful, and lower maintenance gardens and lawns. While there are many ways to add nutrients to your soil, compost is now recognized as the best and most economic choice because it adds immediate and long-term nutrients for plants. It is easy to use, saves money, and is environmentally friendly.

How to Use Compost

There are two primary ways to use compost: tilling and topdressing. Tilling—or mixing compost into your existing soil—is usually done when establishing new gardens or lawns because it immediately supplies nutrients to your soil and plants. Topdressing—applying compost on top of your garden beds or lawn—is frequently used for existing beds and lawns because it doesn’t disrupt the current root structures and allows the compost’s nutrients and microorganisms to work down into the soil over time.

ammonia scrubber

New Lawn Establishment

Place 1 to 2 inches of our Tilling Compost onto the top of the existing soil and mix to a depth of 6 to 8 inches prior to seeding or sodding your lawn.

Existing Lawn

Apply a ½ inch layer of our Topdressing Compost across the full lawn and rake the compost across the top of the lawn and into the aeration holes. If not aerating the lawn, apply ¼ inch of compost and then rake the compost.

Gardens and Raised Bed Establishment

Place 1 to 2 inches of our Tilling Compost onto the top of the existing soil and mix to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. For containers, the percentage of compost in the soil should generally not exceed 25%.

Existing Gardens

Apply up to a 4 inch layer of our Topdressing Compost. Thinner layers (1/2 to 1 inch) will provide nutrients to your soil over time; thicker layers (2-4 inches) will also provide some weed suppression (also called a compost mulch or compost blanket).

Protect your soil environment by reducing stress on your plants and creating a finished look for any flower, tree, & shrub bed.

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Double mulch

Natural Mulch: Double Shredded

Traditional shredded mulch, expertly made, and aged to give a natural, dark brown colour, Perfect for walkways, playgrounds, and forest-area floors.

Available in bulk (e.g., 1 cubic yard)

Nutrient Blend Mulch

The benefits of mulch and compost in one, top-of-the-line product. Ideal for annual, perennial, and vegetable beds.

Available in bulk (e.g., 1 cubic yard).

Leaf Mulch

Light and easy spread with the powerful benefits of an organic mulch. Not only does it help to prevent weeds, retain moisture, and moderate your soil’s temperature, but it also breaks down over the growing season to add nutrients to the soil below.

Available in bulk (e.g., 1 cubic yard).

Dyed Mulch

Expertly made for long-lasting colour. Helps prevent weeds, retain moisture, and moderate your soil’s temperature.

Available in bulk (e.g., 1 cubic yard) and bagged (3 cubic feet).

The Manassas Difference

Natural Ingredients, Better Mulch

No dyes. No construction debris. Just natural wood, returned to nature.

Weed-Free for
Low Maintenance

Cured to kill weed seeds, not introduce them.

Nutrient-Rich to
Feed Your Plants

Aged with care to give your soil beneficial humus and nutrients over time.

Our Mulch Guide

Finding Good Mulch

While it’s been around for a long time, finding a good mulch can be a little tricky. Here are a few things to look for and consider to make buying mulch easy.

Improve your soil structure by providing your garden soils with essential nutrients to grow heartier, disease tolerant, healthy plants.

Calculate how much you need
Quantity Calculator
How many cubic yards do I need?
Select a product
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Depth (inches)
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Topsoil

Ideal for the top 6-12 inches of your soil. A beautiful blend of local, premium, “loamy” soil and our certified compost, Ideal for growing flowers, vegetables, trees, or grass.

The Manassas Difference

Safer for People, Pets, and Plants

No manure. No human waste. No fertilizers. Just the good stuff.

Powerful Blend Ready for Planting

Combine our certified compost with premium sandy-loam soil for thriving plants, veggies, and lawns.

Growing a Better Future Together

Made with local ingredients to boost soil health and community sustainability.

Economic Benefits for
the Whole Community

About Convertus Manassas

The ongoing economic benefits of our Manassas facility include:

  • 20 full-time jobs
  • 75,000 tonnes of organics diverted from landfills annually
  • Produces 10,000+ tonnes of finished compost annually
  • Compost, mulch, and soil amendments used by local food growers and landscapers
  • Curbside truck delivery eliminates the need for a transfer station, lowers trucking costs, and burns less fossil fuel

Our Technologies

Technologies offered at the Convertus Manassas Facility

Contact Information

Manassas Facility Videos

Acceptable Materials for Recycling

Find out what can and cannot be recycled or composted in Nanaimo. Click to download the PDF of Acceptable Materials for Recycling and Composting.