Food Scraps & Composting

What are food scraps?

Food waste, also known as "food scraps," "food residuals," or "compost," are banned from the Vermont landfill. Food scraps are a significant component of household and commercial waste, but they can be diverted from landfills through composting or other means. Composting food scraps helps reduce methane emissions from landfills and creates a valuable soil amendment. Food scrap drop-off is available at all GUVSWMD Drop-Off Centers and Transfer Stations for residents and qualifying businesses.
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​Examples of food scraps include:

• Fruits and vegetables: peels, cores, rinds, seeds, and any parts not eaten.
• Meat and bones: trimmings, bones, and leftovers.
• Dairy: leftover milk, cheese, or yogurt.
• Grains and starches: bread, pasta, rice, and cooked grains.
• Spoiled or uneaten food: anything that has gone bad or was not finished from a meal.
• Coffee grounds and tea bags: including filters, as long as they are not plastic or contain staples.
• Eggshells: .
• Fats, oils, and grease (FOG)

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• Food Scrap Disposal

• Composting

• ACT 148

• Donating Food Scraps

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  Storing food waste

  Use a Sure Close kitchen Pail to store food scraps. When full, bring food scraps (including meat, bones, and fats) to your transfer station and add it to their toter(s). Many transfer stations offer this service at no charge.

  GUVSWMD Facilities + Haulers
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  Composting

  If you don't have access to animals, try backyard composting. It reduces your trash costs significantly, prolongs the life of Vermont's one remaining landfill, and can be great for your garden. Reach out to the GUVSWMD office for suggestions of the best composters on the market.​
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  Build your own composter

  One of the easiest DIY ways to make a compost bin is to start with a trash can—something you may already have on hand. Drill several holes in it, so your compost can get plenty of air and break down quickly. Then, tuck your new bin into a convenient spot and start adding organic material to it. Turn it over using a pitchfork once per week until it is ready to be used in your garden beds and plant pots.
  
  There are many options for building your own composter - including recycling old pallets. Step by step plans can be found easily on the internet.

  
• ACT 148: Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law​

  

  
  ​Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law, Act 148, went into effect on July 1, 2020. It requires food scraps to be kept out of the trash and diverted from the landfill. The only exception is for meat scraps and bones, which may continue to go in the trash if one is composting at home. 

  Learn More
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  Donate food scraps to local farms

  If the food is no longer edible, consider feeding it to chickens or other livestock. The Vermont Dept. of Agriculture has restrictions regarding what can and can't be fed animals being raised for human consumption.