Food Scrap Drop-Off Site

Why Recycle Food Scraps?
Food scraps are one of the largest components of trash sent to landfills and incinerators. However, food scraps are not trash, they are a resource that can be turned into useful compost.

Recycling food scraps into compost captures their nutrients and energy and returns them to the environment. When food scraps are sent to a landfill or incinerator this resource is lost. In a landfill, food scraps create methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas that traps CO2 and contributes to global warming. When sent to an incinerator, food scraps reduce the efficiency of the incinerator because they contain water and therefore don't burn well.

Composting food scraps turns that story around! Instead of wasting energy trying to burn food, or creating methane from landfilling it, composting food scraps produces a useful and valuable product that gives back to our nutrient life cycle resulting in cleaner soil, water and air.
 

Here's How To Do It:
COLLECT your food scraps in a countertop pail. Although not required, you may line your pail with a compostable bag - no plastic bags!

BRING your food scraps & empty into the collection bins located at Downing Park (lower lot)

Accepted Items:                                                                                           

• All FOOD, including:
  • Fruits & vegetables (remove stickers, bands, ties)                              
  • Meat & poultry (bones okay)                                                                 
  • Fish & shellfish (shells okay)                                                                   
  • Dairy products
  • Bread & pasta
  • Rice & grains
  • Egg shells
  • Chips & snacks
  • Nuts & seeds
  • Leftover, spoiled, & expired food (cooked okay)
  • Coffee grounds (paper filters okay)
• Tea bags (no staples)
• Paper towels & napkins
• Cut flowers
• Compostable bags (no plastic bags)

Items NOT Accepted:

• Plastic bags, plastic packaging, & wrappers (Plastic does not biodegrade and therefore will contaminate the compost)
• Baby/hand wipes (These are synthetic products and do not biodegrade)
• Pet waste

*Countertop pails can be purchased through a variety of suppliers.