Chicago’s Food Scrap Drop-Off Program
Composting has come to Chicago! The city operates a few dozen food scrap collection sites for dropping off household food scraps for composting — open to all residents for free. About 5,000 households have already signed up to participate. Sign up here!
Chicago’s Food Scrap Drop-Off Program helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills and creates compost that’s beneficial for our soil. In our guide, we tell you everything you need to know about Chicago’s program so you can start collecting your food scraps and send them off for composting.
Where to Find Food Scrap Drop-Off Sites in Chicago
Chicago has 33 food scrap drop-off sites around the city. Many of the drop-off sites are located at the city’s public libraries. Click on the map below, then search for your address or zip code by clicking on the magnifying glass.
If there’s not currently a location nearby, keep checking back here for updates. The city has added several sites since the program first launched, so a location closer to you may pop up. You can also email the city and request a site near your location: dsscomposting@cityofchicago.org.
List of Food Scraps Drop-Off Sites
Ashburn: Scottsdale Library - 4101 W 79th St
Austin: West Chicago Avenue Library - 4856 W Chicago Ave
Avalon Park: Avalon Library - 8148 S Stony Island Ave
Avondale: 3143 N Rockwell St
Belmont Cragin: 5605 W Grand Ave
Brighton Park: 3559 S Maplewood Ave
Dunning: Dunning Library - 7455 W Cornelia Ave
East Side: Vodak-East Side Library - 3710 E 106th St
Edgewater: 5853 N Broadway
Englewood: 611 W 69th St
Forest Glen: Edgebrook Library - 5331 W Devon Ave
Garfield Ridge: 5600 S Central Ave
Grand Boulevard: 4352 S Cottage Grove Ave
Hegewisch: Hegewisch Library - 3048 E 130th St
Irving Park: 4605 W Lawrence Ave
Lake View: Lincoln Belmont Library - 1659 W Melrose St
Lincoln Square: 5333 N Western Ave
Logan Square: 2460 W Cortland St
Lower West Side: 1944 W Cullerton St
Morgan Park: 11059 S Homewood Ave
Near South Side: 1758 S Clark St
New City: Sherman Park Library - 5440 S Racine Ave
North Lawndale: 1817 S Pulaski Rd
Norwood Park: 6453 W Higgins Ave
Portage Park: Portage-Cragin Library - 5108 W Belmont Ave
Pullman: 1012 E 103rd St
Rogers Park: 6447 N Ravenswood Ave
South Lawndale: Toman Library - 2708 S Pulaski Rd
Uptown: Uptown Library - 929 W Buena Ave
Washington Heights: Woodson Library - 9525 S Halsted St
West Elsdon: 3720 W 55th St
West Englewood: 1756 W 74th St
West Town: 2505 W Grand Ave
What Food Scraps Are Accepted at Chicago Drop-Off Sites
You can drop off all food waste, cooked and raw, including:
Fruits and vegetables
Meat and fish
Bones, eggshells, nuts, shellfish
Bread and grains
Dairy (cheese and yogurt)
Coffee grounds and tea leaves (remove filters)
What Is Not Accepted in the Food Scrap Drop-Off Program
Items that are not accepted include:
Bags of any kind, including "compostable" bags.
Foodware or packaging
Paper (napkins, coffee filters, tea bags, etc)
Cardboard (boxes, pizza boxes, etc)
Liquids
Pet waste
Rubber bands, produce stickers, twist ties
Yard waste
How to Prepare Food Scraps for Drop-Off
All you need to get started is a kitchen container with a lid. Then simply start a new habit: instead of tossing food scraps in the trash, add them to your compost container. Plan to take your container to your nearest food scrap location about once a week, although your schedule will depend on how much food waste your household creates.
No bags, not even compostable bags, are accepted in the drop-off program. If you really want to use a liner bag, please dispose of it in the black trash can on site. Please do not put bags in the green food scrap carts.
Remove all produce stickers from fruits and vegetables before you add them to your compost container. Produce stickers are often made of plastic and do not biodegrade. If you’re tossing an apple core into a food waste cart, you probably peeled off the sticker before you ate it. But it’s easy to forget to remove the sticker from a banana or orange peel.
Removing stickers is time-consuming and expensive for composting facilities. Worse, it can be hard to catch all of them, and they can gum up the composting facility’s machinery. Cut down on contamination: remove produce stickers before you add fruits or vegetables to your compost bin.
What to Expect When You Visit a Drop-Off Site
The drop-off sites are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. When you visit your local drop-off location, you’ll dump your food scraps into a green cart. To open the cart, unlock the latch by squeezing the buttons. After you dump your food items into the cart, make sure to close the latch securely so wildlife cannot get in.
Each site has multiple green carts. Make sure you fill up one completely before using an empty one. If you have a bag or liner for your container, put it in the black trash cart on site — not the green cart.
Who Can Use Chicago’s Food Scrap Drop-Off Program
The city’s composting program is open to all residents. Simply register with this sign-up form and then make a habit of dropping off your food scraps.
FAQs About Chicago Food Scrap Drop-Off
Will my kitchen smell bad if I save my food scraps?
Odor shouldn’t be a concern. Your compost bin won’t smell any more than your regular trash does. And, because you’re collecting food scraps separately from the rest of your trash, you can store this smaller amount of waste in the fridge or freezer if you’re worried about unpleasant smells.
Is there a cost for the program?
No, the program is free to all Chicago residents. Anyone who lives in the city can sign up to drop off their food scraps.
Can I drop off cooked food?
Yes, your food scraps can be raw or cooked.
Do I need to buy a special container?
No, any sealed reusable container will do. If you go long periods of time between dropoffs, you may want to keep your container in your refrigerator or freezer.
How often should I drop off food scraps?
As often as you like! It depends on your routine and how much food waste your household generates.
When are the drop-off sites open?
The drop-off sites are open daily from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Can I drop off my yard waste, too?
No. Yard waste can be composted — just not in the new Food Scrap Drop-off Program. Chicago offers a free yard waste collection program from April 1 to November 30. Gather your leaves and grass in a paper yard waste bag and call 3-1-1 to request collection. Chicago uses your yard waste to make compost, too.
How Chicago’s Food Scrap Program Turns Waste Into Compost
When residents use Chicago’s composting program, fewer food scraps end up in a landfill. Instead, Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation collects the scraps and sends them to Harbor View Composting Facility in Chicago, where they are processed into compost by a company called Whole Earth Compost. Whole Earth makes the compost available for sale — sending nutrients back into the Earth to support plant growth.
Give composting a try with Chicago’s New Food Scrap Drop-Off Program. If you’re interested in learning about more options for reducing your food waste, check out our guide to composting in Chicago. If you’re interested in curbside pickup, check out these resources. Thanks for composting, Chicago!
