Composting in Chicago: A Complete Guide to Local Options for Recycling Food Scraps
Turning a negative into a positive — that’s the power of composting. Chicago residents have many options for recycling their food scraps so uneaten food doesn’t end up in the landfill. Eggshells, coffee grounds, leftover bacon: all of this food waste can be turned into compost, a much healthier choice for the environment and for our future.
Chicago offers several ways to compost food scraps, including free public food scrap drop-off sites and private composting services. You can also compost at home (yes, even in your Chicago apartment). Ready to get started? In this guide, we provide an overview of how composting works in Chicago, what food scraps can be composted, and all your options for recycling food waste. Let’s help you kick off your composting journey!
What Is Composting and Why It’s Important to Recycle Your Food Scraps
The EPA calls composting “nature’s way of recycling.” When you recycle your old banana peels, moldy bread, and leftover brussels sprouts, you enable these organic materials to naturally decompose into a nutrient-rich, soil-like material called compost. Composting is a controlled process that uses oxygen, so it can’t happen to food that’s been buried in a landfill.
Composting has big environmental benefits, especially for us in a densely populated city like Chicago. It diverts waste that would otherwise head for the landfill, reduces methane emissions and greenhouse gases, and produces the rich material called compost. Compost helps plants and flowers grow, creating beautiful landscapes here in Chicago and supporting agriculture beyond the city.
For a deeper look at why compost is known as “black gold,” check out our blog post about the benefits of composting food scraps.
How Composting Works in Chicago
Most Chicago residents place their food scraps in the trash bin. Composting means picking up a new habit — collecting food scraps in a separate container so that uneaten food goes to a compost site instead of a landfill. Chicago has food scrap collection sites across the city, where residents can drop off household food scraps for composting — for free. Private companies also offer composting services, with varying pickup options and fees.
Food scraps collected through the city’s composting service are taken to the Harbor View Composting Facility, located in Chicago and operated by Whole Earth Compost. There, food waste is mixed with yard waste so that it turns into compost after about three months. The finished compost is then sold so it can enrich soil and support plant growth.
If you’re looking for specific locations and hours to drop off your food scraps, see our full guide to food scrap drop-off sites in Chicago.
Ways to Compost Food Scraps in Chicago
Chicago residents have several options for composting their food scraps.
Food Scrap Drop-Off Sites
Chicago has 33 food scrap collection sites across the city where residents can drop off household food scraps for composting — for free. These sites are a great option for people who live close by and want to get started on composting, but don’t want to worry about incurring any cost or learning how to compost themselves. About 5,000 households have signed up to participate in Chicago’s program.
Food Scrap Drop-Off Sites in Chicago
Private Composting Services
If you’re interested in composting, but don’t want to compost at home or transport your food scraps to a public drop-off site, a private composting service may be a good option. There are multiple companies in Chicago that offer composting pickup services, with varying costs.
Chicago Private Composting Services
At-Home Composting
At-home composting is another option, especially if you have a backyard. And if you don’t have a backyard, you can still vermicompost, which requires keeping a worm bin and adding food scraps and paper.
How to Compost at Home in Chicago
What Food Scraps Can Be Composted
Most composting programs accept cooked or raw food scraps, including:
Fruits and vegetables
Meat and fish
Bones, eggshells, nuts, shellfish
Bread and grains
Dairy (cheese and yogurt)
Coffee grounds
Items that are not typically accepted include bags, liquids, cardboard, or paper. Check your specific composting program for exact requirements.
See what food scraps are accepted at Chicago’s drop-off sites.
Getting Started with Composting in Chicago
Now that you know more about the options for composting in Chicago, are you ready to get started? Begin with a few small steps. Decide whether you’ll visit a public drop-off site, arrange for a pickup service, or compost at home. Then pick a container for storing your food scraps. There’s no need to buy new. Any container with a lid will work. Or, you can keep it simple and store a bowl in your fridge or freezer.
Now you’re ready to get started composting! Turning your food scraps into compost will save more organics from the landfill and help us build a more sustainable Chicago. Good luck!
Updated February 2026
