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Zero Waste

Food Waste Drop-Off

DC's Department of Public Works now offers residents two options for food waste drop-off citywide. Both options are free to use for residents. Find a Food Waste Drop-off location near you!

1. (New!) Food Waste Smart Bins are available 24 hours per day and can be unlocked using the metroKEY app or a keypad access code. Accessible smart bins are indicated with ♿.

2. Staffed Food Waste Drop-off Events at designated farmers' markets and community sites on Saturdays or Sundays.

  • 13 staffed weekend food waste drop-off events citywide, with at least one event in each DC ward. (All are wheelchair accessible♿)
  • During holidays or inclement weather, a staffed drop-off site may close if the associated farmers market is closed; please also check the market's website for updates. 

Recent Updates to your DPW Food Waste Drop-off Program

  • All weekend food waste drop-off events are year-round (No more seasonal events)
  • Now more convenient weekend drop-off options citywide, including wheelchair accessible food waste smart bins ♿
  • Every Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) is now served by at least one 24-hour food waste smart bin
  • See your expanded options in the drop-down list by Ward below.

 (New!)🔋Household Batteries accepted at select Weekend Drop-off Events (Aug-Dec 2026) 

Residents can drop off food waste and food-soiled paper for composting at 24-hour Food Waste Smart Bins and weekend drop-off events in all eight wards. All collected food waste is taken to nearby composting facilities, such as the Prince George’s County Organics Composting facility in Upper Marlboro, MD. 

Locations for 24-hour Food Waste Smart Bins & Weekend Drop-off Events

Click the (+) drop-down symbols below to reveal each ward's food waste drop-off options.

(Note: All weekend drop-off events occur every weekend. Weather Emergencies or Holidays may affect the opening of some markets, and therefore, the associated food-waste drop-off event may be closed. Please also check the farmers' markets' websites for updates. Options with 🔋 also accept household batteries)

Ward 1   

Ward 2   

Ward 3   

Ward 4   

Ward 5   

Ward 6   

  • 24-Hour Smart Bin Locations
  • Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events
  • Eastern Market, near Rumsey Aquatic Center ♿🔋
    • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
    • Location: 635 North Carolina Ave SE
    • 🔋This location includes battery collection Aug to Dec 2026 (household batteries up to 11 lbs only)

  • Farmers Market SW ♿

    • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
    • New Location: M Street Landing of the DC Wharf (the plaza near 605 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC)
    • NEW LOCATION as of April 4, 2026: The Farmers Market SW has a new home at the M Street Landing of the DC Wharf.

    Also nearby: 

    • Bloomingdale Farmers Market (Ward 5) ♿
      • Sundays, 9 am to 1 pm
      • Location: 100 R St NW
    • Historic Anacostia, in front of Marion Barry Ave Market & Cafe (Ward 8) ♿🔋
      • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
      • Location: 1303 Marion Barry Ave SE
      • 🔋This location includes battery collection Aug to Dec 2026 (household batteries up to 11 lbs only)
    • Trinidad Farmers Market, parking lot of Joseph H. Cole Recreation Center (Ward 6) ♿
      • Sundays, 9 am to 1 pm
      • Location: 1299 Neal St NE

Ward 7   

  • 24-Hour Smart Bin Locations
  • Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events
  • Lederer Gardens ♿🔋
    • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
    • Location: 4801 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE
    • 🔋This location includes battery collection Aug to Dec 2026 (household batteries up to 11 lbs only)
    • RELOCATION NOTICE: This Food Waste Drop-off Event was relocated on August 22, 2026, to nearby Lederer Gardens at 4801 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE.
  • Also nearby: 
    • Historic Anacostia, in front of Marion Barry Ave Market & Cafe (Ward 8) ♿🔋
      • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
      • Location: 1303 Marion Barry Ave SE
      • 🔋This location includes battery collection Aug to Dec 2026 (household batteries up to 11 lbs only)
    • Trinidad Farmers Market, parking lot of Joseph H. Cole Recreation Center (Ward 6) ♿
      • Sundays, 9 am to 1 pm
      • Location: 1299 Neal St NE

Ward 8   

How to Use a Food Waste Smart Bin

Complete List of Items Accepted in the Food Waste Drop-Off Program

Accepted Materials ✔️  

  • Fruits and vegetables, salad
  • Coffee grounds, paper coffee filters, loose tea, and tea bags made of paper and cotton (many modern tea bags are made of plastic, which is not compostable)
  • Foods cooked in fats and oils, prepared foods, leftovers
  • Moldy or expired foods
  • Meat and bones (cooked or raw)
  • Seafood, shellfish, fish, bivalves, and mollusks
  • Shells (e.g., crab shells, oyster shells, clamshells, and mussel shells)
  • Dairy products (including spoiled dairy products)
  • Eggs and eggshells
  • Bread, grains, cereals, rice, and pasta (cooked or uncooked)
  • Flour, cornmeal, and spices
  • Nuts, nutshells, seeds, and beans
  • Corncobs and fruit pits
  • Pickles, kimchi, and fermented foods
  • Food and beverage-soiled napkins and paper towels
  • Pumpkins, gourds, and squash (break into smaller pieces)
  • Pastries, desserts, and candies
  • Cut or dried flowers and houseplants
  • Uncoated paper cups, plates, and bowls; greasy pizza boxes, and paper bags
  • BPI-certified compostable bags

Materials Not Accepted ❌  

  • Yard waste (Call 3-1-1 or visit 311.dc.gov to request a free yard waste pick-up year-round)
  • Large amounts of leftover cooking oil and grease (small amounts are acceptable)
  • Produce stickers, rubber bands, labels, and twist ties (remove before composting)
  • Plastic bags, wraps, and film (Note: "veggie bags" from the produce sections at grocery stores are often tinted green, but they are not compostable)
  • Plastic cups, straws, takeout containers, utensils, and packaging
  • Compostable and biodegradable food serviceware (e.g., plastic cups, straws, takeout containers, utensils) and all packaging
  • Plastic-lined and wax-coated paper products (e.g., cups, plates, bowls, takeout containers, and cardboard)
  • Plastics, metals, foil, glass, and “styrofoam”
  • Animal and human waste or bodily fluids (e.g., diapers, kitty litter, dog feces, used facial tissues, used toilet paper, baby wipes, and sanitary products)
  • Animal remains, such as deceased pets and “roadkill”
  • Diseased or infested houseplants, invasive plants, or contaminated soil (see the list of DC’s common native and invasive plants)
  • Clothes, fabric, yarn
  • Chewing gum and tobacco
  • Medications (prescribed and over-the-counter)
  • Holiday decorations (including natural and artificial trees, wreaths, and garlands - call 311 for seasonal holiday tree collections)
  • Other recyclables and trash

Download the Food Waste Drop-off Flyers

Download the double-sided Food Waste Drop-off Flyer

Pumpkin Composting

This year, compost your porch pumpkins instead of trashing them. Watch this video to learn how to cut up and drop off your pumpkin the right way and help DC turn food waste into something good for our city. Want to learn more about food waste composting over the holidays? Read the Holiday Recycling Guide at zerowaste.dc.gov/holiday.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I bring my food scraps to a Food Waste Drop-Off Event or Smart Bin? 

You don't need special equipment to participate in the Food Waste Drop-Off Program. You can gather acceptable food waste and food-soiled paper at home using what you have available, such as a reusable food waste caddy, a Tupperware container, or a compostable bag (paper or compostable bioplastic). Some people line their food waste containers with BPI-certified compostable liners, but liners are optional. Learn more: Compostable Bag Resource Guide.

When you arrive at a Food Waste Drop-Off location, empty the contents of your food waste container into the available bin(s).

  • At Food Waste Smart Bins, you must use the metroKEY app or the keypad access code to open the bin. In 2025, the keypad access code is 2-0-2-5-#.
  • Paper towels, spatulas, and hand sanitizer are provided at the staffed food waste drop-off events each weekend for your convenience, and a Zero Waste DC team member may be available to answer questions. 
  • Remember, these drop-off options are for food scraps and food-soiled paper only; they are not for yard waste. DC provides free yard waste collection; call 311 to request a pickup.
  • Everything dropped off into a food waste bin MUST be compostable, no exceptions. Remove all non-compostable packaging and labels and dispose of them in a trash can.

Two important notes about bin liners (bags): ⭐ 1) Only compostable bin liners, such as brown paper bags or BPI-certified compostable bioplastic liners, are accepted at DPW's food waste drop-off sites. Find examples of brands and retailers by reviewing the Compostable Bag Resource Guide. DPW monitors the contents of each bin it collects and has observed food waste bundled in clear or green-tinted plastic grocery produce bags (which are not compostable) and plastic shopping bags. Please only bundle your food waste in compostable bags or drop it off loose in the bin. ⭐ 2) Any flexible film plastics should never go into traditional blue recycling bins. Flexible plastic films—compostable or not—can quickly become tangled and damage recycling equipment at sorting facilities. So, never put plastic bin liners or bags in a traditional blue recycling bin.

I'm having trouble accessing a food waste smart bin 

We're sorry you're having trouble with one of the food waste smart bins. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

  • Registration Process Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDFQHsJnAas
  • Password Recovery Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB2LvZL6o4Q
  • Ensure you're using the latest version of the metroKEY app by checking the Apple App Store or Google Play. Update the metroKEY app and restart your smartphone. This usually corrects most access issues.
  • Make sure your phone's Bluetooth is turned on. Then turn off your WiFi and try accessing the bin.
  • Check that no one else is connected to the bin via Bluetooth before you try to access it. Each user has 30 seconds to access the bin before the next user can unlock it.
  • If you see the app trying to connect to the bin but the lock doesn't unlock, try entering the current access code into the keypad on the front left-hand side of the unit. The current access code is 2-0-2-5-#. This code may change in the future, but we will list it here on this webpage if it does. 
  • If you're still having trouble, contact us at [email protected] for further assistance.

Why should I participate in this program? 

  • Keeping food out of your trash bin makes it less attractive to rodents, like rats and raccoons.
  • Food scraps thrown in the trash may end up in landfills, where they decompose and release methane, which harms human health and the environment.
  • Composting wasted food, instead of throwing it in the trash, can create more soil and help produce more food.
  • Preventing food from going into the trash will help the District achieve its goal of reducing waste by 80% by 2040.
  • According to the EPA, in 2018, only 2.6 million tons of food scraps were composted, compared to 35 million tons that went into landfills. (www.epa.gov)

How can I control odors at home? 

If your food waste smells worse in hotter months, we have some tips. To help control odors at home, we recommend lining the bottom of food waste containers with a generous amount of newspaper or shredded paper to help absorb moisture, a primary source of odors. Other tips include rinsing your container between uses and storing food scraps in the freezer or refrigerator until the next drop-off. If you want to troubleshoot with a DPW staff member, email us at [email protected]. 

Some residents control odors at home by stabilizing their food waste using grinder-dehydrator machines—there are several popular brand names of these kitchen appliances—and then storing the dried material in a sealed container, like a small bucket with a tight-fitting lid, until they have amassed enough to make a trip to a drop-off site worthwhile. Some families find they can reduce trips to drop off food waste to once every other month using this method. 

Can businesses use DPW's Food Waste Drop-Off sites?  

Are there any other options for composting in DC?  

1. In addition to DC DPW’s food waste drop-off programs, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) hosts a robust network of Compost Cooperatives at 50+ parks citywide. The Compost Cooperatives are volunteer-led and managed. Learn more about the Compost Cooperative program.

2. If you have a backyard, consider home composting. 

3. While an intermediate to advanced option, home vermicomposting is a highly sustainable approach to food waste management with a small footprint.

4. DC DPW has established a curbside food waste collection program with limited enrollment. Learn about DC DPW's Food Waste Collection Program and join the waitlist.

5. If none of these options work for you but you still want to compost your food waste, you may hire an organics hauler to collect it weekly at your home. The current list of approved solid waste collectors registered in the District is available on DPW's Solid Waste Collectors page.

How can I learn more about food waste drop-off programs in DC? 

Please message the Office of Waste Diversion's food waste program staff at [email protected]. We are happy to provide additional information.

We occasionally post recordings of our presentations on this topic. View our latest presentations below.

 

 

 

 

Additional questions?

Please email the Office of Waste Diversion team at [email protected].

 

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Related Content: 
Food Waste Collection program
Home Composting Program