Refuse and recycling carts at the curb
Streets & Urban Forestry

Compost Food Scraps

Here are your location options for food scraps composting

One this page you will find:

Seasonal Farmers' Market Drop-Off

Food scraps recycling drop-off will return in the spring of 2025!

It will be available at three locations around Madison.

Residents can bring the right kind of food scraps we can accept in any container they choose to one of these locations for composting.

Food Scraps We Can Accept at the Farmers' Market Drop-Off Sites

  • Raw fruits, including peelings, cores, etc.
  • Raw vegetables, including stems, husks, etc.
  • Corn cobs
  • Coffee grounds
  • Loose tea leaves
  • Eggshells
  • Uncooked grains & rice

You can also download this guide for your home to help.

Items Not Accepted at the Food Scraps Drop Off Sites

The below foods are banned from the market food scraps drop-off program.

Do not bring these to the market sites.

The below list will be expanded if additional banned items become necessary

  • All meat & bones (including fish and shellfish)
  • Food products cooked with or in fats, oils, and grease
  • Prepared foods
  • Black walnuts
  • Containers of fats, oils, and grease
  • All dairy products
  • Pastas
  • Paper products, including bags & newspaper
  • Compostable plastics, including compostable bags & compostable tableware
  • Produce stickers, twist ties, and other non-compostable material etc.
  • Pet waste & diapers
  • Traditional plastics
  • Metal items
  • Glass items
  •  Trash

What happens to the food scraps?

Scraps collected at the market sites are hauled to the Neighborhood Food Solutions Farm to be composted to help grow vegetables that are sold at the South Madison Farmers' Market.

Jennifer Sandor dumping food scraps at the Neighborhood Food Solutions Farm

Community Garden Composting

Your community garden may have a a very small program composting option for gardeners or the immediate neighborhood.  

One garden community garden in Madison has a program started (see below) though others may be available.  Contact the garden coordinator near you to see if a community garden composting option is available. 

Prairie Hills Community Garden at Lucy Lincoln Hiestand Park

Contact the Prairie Hills garden coordinator to see how to participate.

Material accepted here would be the same as what can be composted in your own backyard.

Private Composting Companies

These private companies may be able to provide collection to your home or business for a fee:

Commercial entities may also want to consider contacting the company that provides dumpster collection of trash and recycling to see if they can offer food scraps services.

Organix Recycling may also be able to provide some collection services.

Farmers' market drop-off sites are for residents. They can't support the volume generated by restaurants, food manufacturers, and businesses.  

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Food Scraps