Compost DC: Food Waste Collection program

While the one-year pilot to test the service will be ending, we are excited to be maintaining collection services for another year. If you are currently receiving this food waste collection service from DPW, your collection will continue until further notice.

Next year, DPW aims to add a limited number of new households only as current participants move away or opt-out. Priority will be given to residents living in designated low-income and disadvantaged communities (LIDACs) across the District, mainly concentrated in Wards 5, 7, and 8.

If you have neighbors, friends or family members in DC that are interested in joining to receive food scrap collection services next year or in the future, please encourage them get on the waitlist by filling out the form here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CompostDCInterest 

Low-income and disadvantaged communities (LIDACs) will be identified using the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EJScreen Supplemental Indexes and the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). Specifically, an address will be considered a LIDAC if it is located with within 

• Any census tract that is included as disadvantaged in the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST); and/or
• Any census block group that is at or above the 90th percentile for any of EJScreen’s Supplemental Indexes when compared to the nation as included in EJScreen.

Addresses on the waitlist will be assessed using the above criteria and prioritized for participation above addresses on the waitlist that do not meet those criteria. 

When a District holiday occurs, your Food Waste Collection Day will “slide” to the next day for the rest of the week. For a list of District holidays that will affect collection, please visit: DPW Slide Guide

Keeping your outdoor bin clean is essential to preventing built up food scraps, reducing odor, and mitigating pests. Here are some tips to keep your bin clean and odor-free:

Keep it Cool:

• Store your bin in a shady spot between collection days.
• Keep your scraps refrigerated or frozen until collection day.

Layer It:

• By layering your food scraps with paper towels, napkins, or shredded newspaper, you can soak up excess moisture and reduce odor.
• Add coffee grounds to your bin to reduce odor. A sprinkle of baking soda every few days works just as well!

Bag it Up:

• While not required, using compostable bags or paper bags to contain your food scraps in the bin can make for easier collection and clean up.
• Out of the provided compostable bags? The brand of bags we provided in your starter kit is BioBag, but you may use any compostable bags with the BPI Certified Compostable logo. Compostable bags can be purchased from local retailers such as Walmart, Target, or Ace Hardware, or online.
• Don't want to use bags? All good! But regular cleaning will be essential. You may also choose to line the bottom of your bin with newspaper or other paper materials for an easier clean up.

Keep it Clean:

• A quick wipe down after each collection day can help you easily maintain a clean bin.
• For a deeper clean, break out your hose and use a mix of water with dish soap or vinegar to wash the inside and outside of your bin.

In the case of inclement weather affecting the District, food waste collection may be delayed or canceled for the safety of collection crews. DPW will send email updates should winter weather impact your food waste collection route.

Please ensure you are signed up for email updates at public.govdelivery.com. To ensure that notices about service interruptions are received and do not go to your spam or junk folder, we recommend adding [email protected] and [email protected] as email contacts.

If your food waste collection bin was not emptied by 4:00 p.m. on your Food Waste Collection Day, call 311 or visit 311.dc.gov to file a service request for "Missed Curbside Compost Collection" as soon as possible and we will schedule a new collection to resolve the error. 

If your food waste collection bin is stolen, missing, or is broken, call 311 or visit 311.dc.gov to file a service request and we will send a free replacement bin. 

We're sorry we haven't gotten you a starter kit yet. If you have not received your starter kit yet, please email [email protected] (SUBJECT: Starter Kit) and we will arrange for a starter kit to be re-delivered as soon as possible. 

Because the program is serviced through different routes, your Food Waste Collection Day is not necessarily the same as your trash and recycling collection day.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/DCCompostCollectionDays and use your Bin ID to identify your food waste collection day. Don't have an ID number on your outdoor food waste collection bin? Email us at [email protected] or call (202) 645-8245 and we can look up your collection day and provide your Bin ID for your records.

Your point of collection will be where you typically place your trash and recycling bins for collection (i.e., the front, back, or side of your house), unless notified otherwise. Please avoid placing the compost bin on top of your trash and recycling bins, or in a location where it would be onscured from view (e.g., directly behind a parked car). 

Households currently receiving trash and recycling services from the DC Department of Public Works (DPW) were are eligible to participate in the Food Waste Collection program. DPW provides trash and recycling services to residential single-family households residing in buildings with 3 units or fewer. Commercial properties and households living in multi-family residential buildings with 4 or more units are not eligible.

DPW is not adding new participants at this time. However, we aim to add a limited number of new households in the new year as current participants move away or opt-out. Priority will be given to residents living in designated low-income and disadvantaged communities across the District, mainly concentrated in Wards 5, 7, and 8. If you are interested in participating in the future, you may get on the waitlist by filling out the form here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CompostDCInterest 

The sign-up period has now closed. All selected households have been notified if they were selected via a confirmation email or phone call from the Department of Public Works’ Office of Waste Diversion ([email protected]). 

As we tranisiton from a pilot to a program, DPW aims to add a limited number of new households in the new year only as current participants move away or opt-out. Priority will be given to residents living in designated low-income and disadvantaged communities across the District, mainly concentrated in Wards 5, 7, and 8. More details to come.

If you are interested in receiving food waste collection services next year or in the future, please encourage them get on the waitlist by filling out the form here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CompostDCInterest 

Participating households will receive a welcome packet in the mail and via email, which details best practices for food waste collection and how food waste will be collected, as well as a starter kit which includes an outdoor and indoor collection bin and a starter set of compostable bags

Acceptable Materials:

• Fruit and vegetable scraps and trimmings;
• Cut or dried flowers and houseplants;
• Coffee grounds, loose tea, and paper coffee filters and tea bags;
• Meat (cooked or raw) and bones;
• Fish and other seafood (including crustaceans and shells);
• Eggs and egg shells;
• Dairy products (including spoiled dairy);
• Bread, grains, cereals;
• Rice and pasta (cooked or uncooked);
• Egg shells, nut shells, and corn cobs;
• Nuts, seeds, beans, flour, and spices;
• Food-soiled napkins and paper towels;
• Moldy, expired, or prepared food (including those cooked in oil);
• Fruit pits and seeds; and
• Uncoated paper products (including newspaper, paper egg shell cartons, and cardboard).

Unacceptable Materials:

• Yard wastes of any type (i.e., leaves, branches, woody debris) - click here to schedule a separate yard waste pick up;
• Plastic bags, wraps, or film;
• Stickers from fruits or vegetables;
• Rubber bands or twist ties;
• Fats, oil, and grease (small amounts of oil or fat in prepared foods are acceptable);
• Diapers;
• Animal and human waste or body fluids;
• Biodegradable or compostable food serviceware (i.e., cups, straws, takeout containers, and utensils) and all packaging (biodegradable, compostable, or other);
• Coated or waxed paper or cardboard;
• Non-compostable materials like plastic, metals, foil, glass, or Styrofoam;
• Inedible kitchen grease, grease from sewer traps, or any liquids;
• Diseased, or insect-infested houseplants, invasive plants, or contaminated soil

The compostable bags provided in your starter kit are large enough to fit in either the kitchen caddy or the outdoor collection bin. You can use them in either bin based on your personal preference. 

You are not required to use the bags. If you choose to not use the bags, we recommend lining the bin with newspaper or other paper materials for easier clean-up after your bin has been emptied. 

Because the bags are meant to breakdown and be composted, they can be fragile. Bags are more likely to break if there is a high volume of liquid included with your food scraps. To increase the lifespan of the bags, reduce the amount of liquids that are going into your bin. You may also try lining the bottom of your compostable bags with paper towels/napkins or shredded paper to soak up the moisture from food scraps.

DPW has a limited supply of compostable bag rolls available for pick-up at our Food Waste Drop-Off sites that operate over the weekend. Locations and hours of operation can be found here: https://zerowaste.dc.gov/foodwastedropoff.

If you prefer to purchase your own, you can utilize any compostable bag that is 3 or more gallons in size and has the BPI Certified Compostable logo. Compostable bags can be purchased from local retailers such as Walmart, Target, or Ace Hardware, or online. Examples of brands of bags can be found here. 

Please note that you are not required to use the compostable bags. If you choose to not use the bags, you can simply put your food waste directly in your outdoor bin – just be sure to clean your bin on a regular basis to prevent odor and pests. You may also use a paper bag or line bottom of the outdoor bin with newspaper or other paper materials for easier clean-up after your container is emptied.  

Food waste is collected through this program is primarily brought to Prince George’s Country Composting Facility and processed into compost.

Participants in the pilot program received 5 lbs of finished compost. If you wish to purchase compost, bags can be purchased from many major and local garden and home improvement stores in and around the District.

Please email [email protected] or call (202) 645-8245 and we will register your new address. Once your new address is confirmed with DPW staff, you may use your food waste collection bin at your new address.

Starting in August 2023, the Curbside Composting Pilot Program has lasted for one year. The goal is to continue offering this service, adding additional households over a number of years, until all DPW-serviced households are offered food waste collection.

As we tranisiton from a pilot to a program, DPW aims to add a limited number of new households in the new year only as current participants move away or opt-out. Priority will be given to residents living in designated low-income and disadvantaged communities across the District, mainly concentrated in Wards 5, 7, and 8. 

If you are interested in receiving food waste collection services next year or in the future, please encourage them get on the waitlist by filling out the form here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CompostDCInterest 

We recommend rinsing your bin with soap and water between uses. Your kitchen caddy is dishwasher safe, however, do NOT heat dry.

To better control odor, you can line the bottom of your kitchen caddy or collection bin with shredded newspapers or store food scraps in the freezer or refrigerator until your collection date.

Please make sure that your food waste bin is free of contaminants like plastic. If these contaminants are spotted in your bin, our collections crew will not empty the contents of your bin into the collection truck and instead will affix an “Oops” tag to your bin to indicate the presence of contaminants. Your food waste will be collected on your next collection day once the contaminants are removed.

“Oops” tags are not meant to punish you, rather, they are an educational tool to help you divert your food scraps better. Mistakes happen, especially with a new program, but we encourage you to take corrective action and learn from the feedback on the “Oops” tag.

The Compost DC: Food Waste Collection program has the following objectives:

• Divert food waste from landfill and incineration
• Provide accessible composting services to residents
• Create cleaner and healthier communities
• Create compost to be used as a nutrient rich soil amendments

Rodents are attracted to the smell of food and easy access to it. Currently, households are placing food scraps into their trash bins, which do not securely close. Participating households can actually reduce rodent activity near their homes by moving food scraps out of their trash bins and, instead, placing them in the provided food waste collection bin. This will reduce odors when closed the lid is properly secured closed. The bins have also been tested for odor and rodent mitigation. DPW continues to work closely with DC Health to identify any areas of improvement for rodent abatement.