Frequently Asked Questions

Use a kitchen pail (e.g., a large bowl with a lid, a compostable bag, a countertop compost bin, a five-gallon bucket, etc.) big enough to hold a day or two of food scraps.

Pro Tip  Keep extra smelly scraps, like meat, in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re able to drop off your scraps.

Pro Tip  Line your kitchen pail with newspaper or a paper bag, which will absorb liquid and help keep your kitchen pail clean.

10 convenient drop-off locations featuring 64-gallon lime green bins:

WESTFIELD PARK: 4500 West Milham Avenue
HARBOR WEST PARK: 3458 Summersong Path
MARLOW STREET CUL-DE-SAC: Adjacent to Haverhill Elementary
PORTAGE CREEK BICENTENNIAL PARK: 910 East Milham Avenue
LAKEVIEW PARK: 9345 Portage Road
OAKLAND DRIVE PARK: 7600 Oakland Drive
RAMONA PARK: 8600 South Sprinkle Road
WEST LAKE NATURE PRESERVE: 9001 South Westnedge Avenue
SCHRIER PARK: 850 West Osterhout Avenue
LEXINGTON GREEN PARK: 4750 Pittsford Street

Pro Tip  Most drop-off bins are located in city parks, open daily from 7 AM to dusk. Plan your visit accordingly!

As long as the lid to the bin is closed after use, animals will not be able to access the bins. City staff will monitor the bins at the 10 drop-off locations.

Check out the “How It’s Made: Compost” video on the My Green Michigan website at https://youtu.be/ggL4Wuvsq8Q.

By recycling your food scraps, you’re contributing to a cleaner, greener future for everyone! 

Reduce Waste  Divert food scraps from landfills and reduce overall waste, helping to extend the life of landfills.
Support Sustainability  Recycled food scraps are turned into nutrient-rich compost, which can enrich soil and support local agriculture.
Cut Emissions  Decomposing food in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Recycling food scraps helps lower these harmful emissions.
Protect the Environment  Composting helps improve soil health and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, benefiting ecosystems.

Not exactly. Both processes aim to recycle organic material into nutrient-rich compost, but differ in the types of materials they accept and how they are processed. Our Food Scraps Recycling Program is specifically designed for items like fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, meat, and dairy (see reverse for a list of acceptable materials). Yard waste composting focuses on plant-based materials such as leaves, grass clippings, branches, and garden trimmings. These materials break down differently, and combining them improperly can disrupt the composting process.