Food Scraps Recycling

Drop Spots:

Users can bring up to 10 gallons of food scraps and paper napkins & towels per day, free of charge, to one of our Drop Spots:

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It’s Easy:

1. Collect your food scraps in your kitchen caddy, lined with a compostable bag.
2. Empty your kitchen caddy into a transportation container with a secure lid.
3. Bring your transportation container to one of our Drop Spot locations to dispose of your food scraps.

NOTE: Caddies and bags are available free of charge from the Department or Recycling and Materials Management office or at any Drop Spot. Transportation containers are available for sale at the Recycling and Materials Management office for $12. Residents are welcome to use alternative transportation containers. For more information about the guidelines regarding the food scraps recycling kits, please click here.

Drop off Procedure:

• Stop and see the Drop Spot attendant, and follow instructions to the blue tote. Replacement compostable bags are available both at the Drop Spots and the Recycling and Materials Management office.
• Gently place your food scraps in the tote. Be sure to close the lid.
• Users may bring up to 10-gallons (two 5-gallon buckets) per day.
• Alternate Container Ideas:
  • Compostable bags at the RSWC are sized to fit a 2.5-gallon kitchen caddy.
  • Reuse plastic coffee containers or other containers that are about 2.5-gallons in size for your kitchen caddy.
  • Reuse a clean kitty litter, food service, or home improvement bucket as your transportation container.
  • Using a kitchen caddy or transport container is not required.

All material collected is processed by Cayuga Compost and available for sale at a number of local retailers.

Trouble with Odors?

• Sprinkle baking soda on top of food scraps.
• Keep your transportation containers outdoors and in the shade, and consider dropping off more frequently during the summer months.
• Freeze meat and dairy until your next trip to any drop spot.

What Happens to My Food Scraps?

 

Drop Spot Consultants:

The Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management is seeking new Drop Spot Consultants for its Food Scraps Recycling Program.

Drop Spot Consultants can work as the regular attendant at one or more drop spots, or as a backup, filling in as needed. Consultants provide customer service, offer outreach materials and information regarding the drop spots, and monitor traffic flow and safety. Must be 18 or older.

Drop Spot Consultants are paid $50 for a 2.5-hour shift, $70 for a 3.5-hour shift, and $90 for a 4.5-hour shift. Interested in applying? Please click here to fill out a brief form.  

If you’d prefer to ask questions over the phone, please call the Recycling and Materials Management Office at (607) 273-6632.

Food Scraps Recycling for Businesses:

There are options for Tompkins County businesses that generate more than 10 gallons of food scraps per day through the ReBusiness Partners Program.

Home Composting:

For more tips and information on home composting, visit Cornell Cooperative Extension’s compost resources page.

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Liquid Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG):

Fats, oils, and grease are a valuable resource that can be turned into biodiesel and other products. They don’t belong in your drain where they can cause clogs and other problems that are expensive to fix. Residents of Tompkins County can collect the liquid fats, oils, and grease from their cooking and then deposit it at the FOG station at the Recycling and Solid Waste Center.

Procedures for collecting liquid FOG:

• Allow the liquid FOG to cool.
• Using a funnel, pour liquid FOG into a reusable container such as an empty milk jug.
• When convenient, deposit FOG at the RSWC.