Chicago residents can compost their food scraps for free through the city's Food Scrap Drop-Off Program, and getting started takes three steps: sign up online for a nearby site, collect scraps in a sealed container at home, and empty them into the green carts at your chosen location. The program, launched in October 2023 as the city's first-ever citywide composting initiative, accepts a broad range of food waste — including meat, fish, dairy and bones — while strictly excluding liquids, bags and non-food compostables. Here is how it works, what belongs in the bin, and why the rules matter.
Understanding Chicago's Food Scrap Drop-Off Program
The Food Scrap Drop-Off Program is the City of Chicago's first citywide composting initiative, launched on October 16, 2023, by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of Streets and Sanitation. It began with 15 drop-off locations spread across the city, giving all residents — including those in apartments and multi-unit buildings without private composting services — a free way to divert food waste from landfills.
The city framed the effort as a climate measure from the start. "Diverting food scraps for composting is one of the easiest and most impactful ways for individuals and cities to address the climate crisis," Mayor Johnson said at the launch. The program's core purpose is to keep organic material out of landfills, where it decomposes into methane, and turn it into compost instead.
