How to Recycle Food Scraps
Vegetable peels, fruit scraps, coffee grounds, and other organic food waste.
Quick answer
Compost food scraps instead of trashing them; landfilled food waste produces methane. Backyard piles should skip meat, fish, dairy, and oils, which attract pests and won't break down at backyard temperatures, but many municipal curbside or drop-off organics programs accept them because their facilities run much hotter. Skip anything labeled compostable plastic or foodware too, since most programs can't break it down in time.
- Recyclable
- Yes
- 1Collect scraps in a countertop container as you cook
- 2In a backyard bin, leave out meat, fish, bones, dairy, and fats, which attract pests and won't decompose at backyard temperatures
- 3Check your municipal program's list before assuming meat and dairy are excluded; many curbside programs accept them
- 4Skip bags and foodware labeled compostable or biodegradable unless your program specifically accepts them
- 5Mix nitrogen-rich scraps with carbon-rich material like dry leaves or shredded paper
- 6Chop large pieces so they break down faster
- 7Keep pet waste, produce stickers, and glossy paper out of any compost stream
- Home composting bins or piles
- Municipal curbside organics collection
- Drop-off organics or green-waste sites
- Community gardens with compost programs
The meat-and-dairy rule depends on where the scraps are headed. Backyard piles rarely sustain the heat needed to break them down without smell or pests, per EPA's home composting guidance. Large-city curbside and drop-off organics programs run at industrial temperatures and often accept them; Los Angeles's program explicitly does. Smaller or older municipal programs may still say no, so check your local list instead of assuming. Bags and containers marketed as compostable are a common trap even at curbside: LA Sanitation rejects them because they don't break down within a typical processing cycle, even when certified.
Food scraps make up close to a third of what enters landfills, where they decompose without oxygen and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Composting them aerobically avoids that methane and returns nutrients to soil instead.
- Plan meals and portion food to cut waste at the source
- Donate still-good excess food to a food bank
- Feed appropriate scraps to backyard chickens where allowed
Not Accepted
- Meat, fish, bones, dairy, and fats in backyard compost (many municipal programs accept these instead)
- Pet waste and cat litter
- Bags, cups, and foodware labeled compostable or biodegradable, in most programs
- Produce stickers and glossy or coated paper
Recycling centers that accept Food Scraps
RecycleFind lists recycling centers that accept food scraps. Open a listing for hours, contact info, and directions.