Food scraps
aren’t trash,
compost them.
Every day, over 200,000 tons of food waste is tossed in the U.S.* We can do better for our land and the lakes we love! Start small—with food scraps—and see how easy it is to make a big impact.
Healthy soil starts with organics recycling.
Healthy soil begins with the nutrients it receives—and that’s where organics recycling comes in. When we compost food scraps, yard waste, and other organic materials, we return valuable nutrients to the earth instead of sending them to a landfill. This nutrient-rich compost:
- improves soil structure
- helps plants grow stronger
- retains moisture
- supports a thriving ecosystem of microbes and insects
- and more!
By keeping organic materials in the cycle, we create healthier gardens, lawns, and community green spaces while protecting waterways from runoff. Small efforts have a big impact—every peel, core, or coffee ground adds to the health of the soil beneath our feet.
Frequently asked questions
Get answers to common questions by clicking to expand the answer.
Organics recycling is the process of turning food scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich compost instead of sending it to the landfill – you can also call this composting. Items like fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and even paper towels can all be composted! This compost can then be used to enrich soil, help plants grow, and support healthier local ecosystems. It’s an easy way to make a positive impact on your garden, your community, and the environment.
Getting started with composting, or organics recycling is simple. At home, keep an approved container for food scraps and compostable materials like fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and paper towels. It’s important to note that you MUST use a compostable / compost-approved bag when dropping off your items. Plastic bags are not accepted and contaminate the site.
With just a few small steps, you can turn everyday waste into compost that benefits gardens, farms, and the environment – and does good for your township and community.
Each community participant has specific drop-off locations and there is more than likely one near you! You can find the full list of programs by clicking here.
As a general rule, food scraps such as pits, peels, and leftovers are compostable – but be sure to remove any labels from your fruits and vegetables. Chicken bones? We take it. Watermelon rinds and corn cobs? You got it. What about that leftover pizza box? If it’s dirty it’s compostable, if it’s clean, you’re better off recycling it.
Here’s a helpful list of generally acceptable items:
- All food, food scraps, peels, pits, stems etc. (labels removed)
- Coffee grounds, filters and paper teabags (no staples)
- Paper towels, napkins and tissues
- Paper towel and toilet paper rolls
- Paper egg cartons (labels removed)
- Certified compostable products: Items with the BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) certified compostable logo on the product or packaging
- Hair and fur
- Wooden popsicle sticks and toothpicks
- House plant trimmings and flowers
Review our list of acceptable items further down this page, as well as what not to compost – including special rules and considerations.
While pizza boxes are good to go, other boxes from your kitchen need to be sorted differently. Boxes from frozen foods, for example, are not accepted in the organics recycling program. Other cardboard items, like cereal boxes, should be placed with your regular recyclables.
Your paper egg cartons are perfect for the compost bin! Feel free to include them with your other food scraps and accepted paper products, but if they have a label of any kind affixed to it, that MUST be removed.
Remember, styrofoam is not accepted.
Good news for pizza night! You can put that delivery pizza box right into the organics bin, especially if it has grease on it. 🙂 Just remember, if you have other clean, plain cardboard, that should always go into your regular recycling bin.
Sorting can sometimes feel tricky, but you’ll get the hang of it in no time! Here’s a simple breakdown for some common items you might be wondering about. Tossing in the wrong things can contaminate the whole batch, and we don’t want to let your good work go to waste!
Keep these items out of your organics collection container or compostable bag:
- ❌ Plastic bags, film, cling wrap, ziplocs
- ❌ Styrofoam
- ❌ Metal – including staples
- ❌ Plastic or sticky labels no matter how small
- ❌ Cleaning and baby wipes
- ❌ Diapers, sanitary, and menstrual products
- ❌ Animal and pet waste or bedding
- ❌ Dryer lint and sheets
- ❌ Fast food wrappers and frozen food boxes
- ❌ Gum, grease, and oils
- ❌ Household trash
- ❌ Plastic plates, cups, and cutlery (that are not certified compostable)
- ❌ Packaged food and condiment packets
- ❌ Recyclable items like bottles, cans, office paper, cardboard, glass, and cartons
- ❌ Products labeled only as ‘biodegradable’
- ❌ Microwave bags
- ❌ Yard waste
You’ve got plenty of easy and affordable options when it comes to collecting your organics at home!
For your countertop bin, you don’t need anything fancy. You can easily use something you already have, like an old ice cream bucket, a coffee container, or a large yogurt tub. If you want something a little more stylish for your kitchen, you can also purchase a special countertop container.
When it comes to bags, this part is really important. Never use a regular plastic bag! Plastic won’t break down and will contaminate the compost. Instead, you should always line your container with either a paper bag or a certified compostable bag. When you’re shopping for compostable bags, look for the BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) logo to make sure you’re getting the right kind.
You can always contact the organization that hosts your organics drop-site or collection program if you have any questions.
That’s a great question, and it’s one of the most common worries people have when they start composting. Keep in mind that all of the material that you’re setting aside for composting is the same material you’ve been throwing in the trash, you’re just separating it in a different container. Here are a few simple tips to keep things smelling fresh:
- Keep it in the freezer or fridge: One of the easiest tricks in the book is to keep your kitchen countertop container or compostable bag in the refrigerator or freezer. This stops the food from starting to break down and smelling before you even get it to the drop-off site.
- Use a container with a vented lid: Letting a little air circulate can do wonders for preventing odors.
- Rinse your container: Give your countertop bin a quick rinse every so often to keep it clean and fresh.
Composting provides benefits for both people and the environment. It helps protect lakes and rivers, improves soil health, conserves water, and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills. It also supports biodiversity, helping gardens, farms, and natural spaces thrive. By recycling organic materials, you’re contributing to cleaner waterways, stronger local ecosystems, and a healthier community overall—one banana peel or coffee ground at a time.
List of compostable items
What you can compost varies by community, but there are some general items that are always good to go! This is the perfect way to get the most from your food scraps and spoiled leftovers – or whatever that ‘was’ that’s sitting in the back of your fridge and has now liquified. Here’s a handy list of what you can compost:
Food scraps
Check with your facility before finalizing educational materials. The following chart does not represent a complete listing of materials.
* Incidental amounts are accepted.
Accepted
✅ Fruits and vegetables
✅ Peels, pits, shells, and rinds
✅ Meat, fish, shellfish and bones
✅ Dairy products
✅ Yogurt, cheese, butter
✅ Bakery and dry goods
✅ Pasta, grains, beans and rice
✅ Bread and cereal
✅ Nuts and shells
Not Accepted
❌ Grease or oil*
❌ Chewing gum
❌ Stickers on produce
❌ Liquids*
Paper
*Must have BPI logo on product or product container.
** Some programs accept commingled organics and yard waste. Be sure to check with the composting facility your material goes to verify if they accept commingled materials.
Accepted
✅ Napkins, and food-soiled paper towels
✅ Paper egg cartons (remove sticker labels)
✅ BPI certified plates, bowls and containers*
✅ Cups, plates and bowls*
✅ Containers*
✅ Paper bags (recycle if not soiled)
✅ BPI certified parchment and wax paper*
✅ Parchment and wax paper*
Not Accepted
❌ Paper that can be recycled
❌ Products marked PLA or labeled as “biodegradable” or other misleading terms included in the symbol/logos section on page 3, unless they are BPI certified
❌ Cartons (milk cartons, juice boxes, soup, broth and wine cartons)
❌ Paper products (plates, boats, cups bowls) without BPI certification
❌ Paper products used with chemical based cleaners
❌ Refrigerated and frozen food boxes
❌ Fast food wrappers – fry bags and burger/sandwich wrappers (unless BPI certified)
❌ Butcher paper, parchment paper, wax paper, muffin cups (unless BPI certified)
❌ Microwave popcorn bags
❌ Ice cream containers
❌ Asian take-out food pails (unless BPI certified)
❌ Paper coated with foil
❌ Wax/produce cardboard boxes
❌ Wrapping paper and tissue paper (gift wrap/packing)
❌ Shredded paper
❌ Receipts
Maybe
Depends on program/facility
Other Compostable/Household Food Related Items
*Must have BPI logo on product or product container.
** Some programs accept commingled organics and yard waste. Be sure to check with the composting facility your material goes to verify if they accept commingled materials.
Accepted
✅ Houseplant trimmings
✅ Wooden items such as wood chopsticks, popsicle sticks and toothpicks
✅ BPI certified compostable products*:
✅ Cups, plates and bowls*
✅ Utensils and straws*
✅ Bags*
✅ Containers*
✅ Bamboo products*
✅ Bagasse products*
✅ Single-use coffee pods*
Not Accepted
❌ Recyclable materials (glass, plastic, paper, metal)
❌ Cleaning and personal care wipes
❌ Pet waste or litter
❌ Diapers
❌ Menstrual and incontinence products
❌ Non-BPI certified plastic (bags, containers)
❌ Products marked PLA or labeled as “biodegradable” or other misleading terms included in the symbol/logos section on page 3, unless they are BPI certified
❌ Dryer lint and dryer sheets
❌ Dental floss
❌ Medicines
❌ Cigarettes
❌ Fireplace or BBQ ashes
❌ Charcoal or ashes
❌ Lumber and sawdust
❌ Rocks, soil and dirt
❌ Latex products
❌ Gloves, balloons
❌ Rubber and rubber bands
❌ Wax (wax paper, [unless BPI certified], candle wax, car wax, waxed bones)
❌ Tape of any kind
❌ Vacuum cleaner bags and contents
❌ Floor sweepings
❌ Paper Pull tabs (gambling)
❌ Textiles
❌ Feathers from pillows or bedding
Maybe
Depends on program/facility
⚠️ Yard waste**
⚠️ Cotton balls and paper swabs
⚠️ Animal bedding
⚠️ Hair and nail clippings (undyed and not painted)
⚠️ Nutritional supplement powders (no vitamins, minerals or pill form)
Certified compostable products reminder
This one is super important!
You can only compost paper and corn-based plastic cups, plates, bowls, and utensils if they are certified compostable. To be sure, look for the BPI logo or the ASTM D6400 certification on the product.
Related articles
-
-
Preventing food waste
Learn how save food from hitting the landfill by exploring food storage tips and more…
Grow. Eat. Compost. Repeat.
Small scraps, big difference.
Save scraps like peels, pits, coffee grounds, paper towels, and more, and deliver to an organics drop-site near you. It’s easy and free! Together, we can build healthier soil for yards, gardens and crops, reduce landfill waste, and protect our rivers, lakes and streams.
