Chicago's Food Scrap Drop-Off Program is free, open to all residents, and runs at 33 locations citywide. Sites are open daily 7 am–7 pm. It accepts all food scraps including meat, dairy, and bones. No registration required. No bags of any kind accepted — bring scraps directly in a container.
About Chicago's Program
The City of Chicago runs one of the most comprehensive municipal compost drop-off programs in the Midwest. Open since late 2023, the program has expanded to 33 sites and accepts food scraps from all Chicago residents for free.
What makes Chicago unusual: unlike most community-based drop-offs, the city program explicitly accepts meat, dairy, cooked food, and bones. This is because scraps go to a commercial composting facility — Whole Earth's Harborview Composting Facility on the far South Side — that has industrial equipment capable of processing these materials.
Program at a Glance
- Cost
- Free
- Hours
- Daily, 7 am – 7 pm
- Registration
- Required (one-time, free)
- Number of Sites
- 33 locations citywide
- Status
- Active 2025–2026
- Run by
- City of Chicago / Chicago Recycles
How to Sign Up
- Find a location near you Visit the Chicago Recycles food scrap drop-off page at chicago.gov/chicagorecycles and use the interactive map. Click any green icon to see the address and site photo.
- Fill out the sign-up form Use the Food Scrap Drop-Off Form linked on the Chicago Recycles page. It's a simple online form — name, address, and selected site location. You'll receive a confirmation email.
- Start collecting at home Place your food scraps directly into a reusable container — a repurposed food tub with a lid, a small bucket, or any container that seals. Do not use bags of any kind.
- Drop off during site hours Bring your container to the site (7 am–7 pm any day) and empty your scraps directly into the green drop-off cart. Take your container home and rinse it.
What Is and Isn't Accepted
✓ Accepted
- Fruits and vegetables (all parts)
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- Bones and shells
- Dairy products
- Cooked and prepared foods
- Bread, pasta, grains, and rice
- Eggshells
- Coffee grounds (loose)
- Tea bags and loose tea
- Nuts and seeds
✗ Not Accepted
- Bags of any kind (including paper, compostable, or plastic)
- Pizza boxes (recycle the clean parts, trash the greasy)
- Foodware or packaging of any kind
- Yard waste or houseplants
- Pet waste or cat litter
- Diapers or personal hygiene products
- Non-food items of any kind
The No-Bag Rule — Why It Matters
This is the detail most people get wrong on their first visit. Chicago's program does not accept bags of any kind — not paper bags, not certified compostable bags, and definitely not plastic. If you prefer to line your container, empty your scraps into the cart and then dispose of the bag separately in a trash receptacle at the site.
The reason is contamination control. The program produces high-quality compost used to build soil. Bags — even "compostable" ones — can slow the process and leave residue in the finished product.
Tips for Chicago Apartment Dwellers
If you live in an apartment, the most practical approach is to collect scraps in a small lidded container (a 1-quart deli container works perfectly) kept in your freezer. Freezing eliminates odors and fruit flies entirely, and you can drop off a frozen block of scraps — it thaws in the bin. Most Chicago residents find once or twice a week is plenty.
You can also use a larger 5-gallon bucket in a closet or pantry if your freezer space is limited, but the freezer method is cleaner.
Storing Scraps Without Odor
Chicago's program accepts meat and dairy, which can smell more strongly than plant matter. The simplest fix: store scraps in the freezer in any sealed container. A repurposed cottage cheese or sour cream container with a lid is ideal. When it's full, drop it off frozen — no smell, no mess.