Food Waste Drop-Off

• 24/7 Smart Bin Locations
  • Park Rd NW & Pine Rd NW (3211 Sacred Heart Way NW)
  • Marie Reed Recreation Center (18th St NW & Wyoming Ave NW) - near the playground
  • Adams Morgan (17th St NW & Kalorama St NW)
  • 14th St NW & U Street NW
• Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events

• Columbia Heights Farmers Market ♿
  • Saturdays, Apr-Dec: 9 am - 1 pm; Jan-Mar: 10 am - 1 pm 
  • 14th Street NW & Kenyon Street NW
• Mount Pleasant Farmers Market
  • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm  
  • 3200 Mt Pleasant Street NW

• 24/7 Smart Bin Locations
  • Kogan Plaza at George Washington University (2121 H Street NW)
  • 9th Street NW & G Street NW (Near Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library)
  • Stead Park (1625 P Street NW)
  • Shaw Neighborhood Library (7th Street NW & R Street NW)
• Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events

• Dupont Circle Farmers Market ♿
  • Sundays, 8:30 am - 1:30 pm 
  • Hillyer Pl NW & Connecticut Ave NW

• 24/7 Smart Bin Locations
  • Chevy Chase Library (5601 Connecticut Ave NW)
  • Tenley-Friendship Library (4450 Wisconsin Ave NW)
  • Stoddert Elementary (40th St NW & Calvert St NW)
• Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events

• Cleveland Park Farmers Market ♿
  • Saturdays (Seasonal, Apr to Dec), 9 am - 1 pm
  • 3430 Connecticut Ave NW
• Univ. of District of Columbia (UDC) Farmers Market ♿
  • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
  • 4340 Connecticut Ave NW
• Palisades Farmers Market ♿
  • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
  • U Street NW & MacArthur Blvd NW

• 24/7 Smart Bin Locations
  • Georgia Ave & Van Buren St NW (6514 Georgia Ave NW)
  • Takoma Library (416 Cedar St NW) 
  • Brightwood (130 Kennedy Street NW)
  • Petworth Library (4199 Kansas Ave NW)
• Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events

• Uptown Farmers Market ♿
  • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
  • 14th Street NW & Kennedy Street NW

• 24/7 Smart Bin Locations
  • Alethia Tanner Park (227 Harry Thomas Way NE)
  • Edgewood Recreation Center (300 Evarts Street NE)
  • Union Market (6th Street NE & Neal Place NE)
  • Bloomingdale (1st Street NW & R Street NW)
• Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events

• Monroe Street Farmers Market ♿
  • Saturdays, Apr-Dec: 9 am - 1 pm; Jan-Mar: 10 am - 1 pm 
  • 716 Monroe Street NE

• 24/7 Smart Bin Locations
  • Swampoodle Terrace (1102 3rd Street NE)
  • Northwest One Library (155 L Street NW)
  • Pennsylvania Ave SE & 13 Street SE (700 13th St SE)
  • Navy Yard (New Jersey Ave SE & M St SE) (Ward 6 & 8)
• Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events

• Eastern Market, near Rumsey Aquatic Center ♿
  • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
  • 635 North Carolina Ave SE
• Farmers Market SW ♿
  • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
  • 425 M Street SW

• 24/7 Smart Bin Locations
  • East Capitol Street NE & Benning Road (4510 East Capitol St NE)
  • Kenilworth Recreation Center (4321 Ord Street NE)
  • Eastern High School Tennis Courts (19th Street NE & East Capitol Street NE)
  • Twining Square (2324 Pennsylvania Ave SE)
• Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events

• First Baptist Church of Deanwood ♿
  • Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm
  • 4408 Sheriff Road NE

• 24/7 Smart Bin Locations
  • Anacostia Library (1800 Marion Barry Ave SE)
  • Covenant House (2001 Mississippi Ave SE)
  • Skyland Town Center (2728 Marion Barry Ave SE)
  • Navy Yard (New Jersey Ave SE & M St SE) (Ward 6 & 8)
  • Bellevue Neighborhood Library (115 Atlantic Ave SW)
• Staffed Weekend Drop-off Events

• Sycamore & Oak ♿
  • Saturdays, 10 am - 2 pm
  • 1110 Oak Drive SE

• 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 are 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

• 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)
• Other recyclables and trash

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 using a liner is optional. 

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 for your convenience at the staffed food waste drop-off events each weekend, 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 by calling 311 and requesting a pickup.
• Everything dropped off into a food waste bin MUST be compostable, no exceptions. Remove all non-compostable packaging and dispose of it 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. 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 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. Therefore, you should never place plastic bin liners or bags in a traditional blue recycling bin.

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

• 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, try turning your WiFi off and accessing the bin.
• Check that no one else is Bluetooth-connected to the bin you're trying to access. Each user has 30 seconds to access the bin before the next user can unlock it.
• If you observe the app attempting to connect to the bin but the lock does not unlock for some reason, try entering the current access code into the keypad on the front left side of the unit. The current access code is 2-0-2-5-#. This code may change in the future, but it will be listed here on this webpage if it does. 
• If you're still having trouble, contact the DPW's Office of Waste Diversion team at [email protected] for further assistance.

• Keeping food out of your trash bin makes it less attractive to rodents, like rats and raccoons.
• Food scraps thrown away in the trash may end up in landfills, where they degrade and release methane gas that harms human health and the environment.
• Wasted food that is composted, instead of thrown away in the trash, can be used to make more soil and produce more food.
• Preventing food from being disposed of in the trash will help the District achieve its goal to reduce 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 landflls. (www.epa.gov)

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, which will 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 between drop-offs. 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 that they can reduce the number of trips to drop off their food waste to once every other month using this method. 

• No, food scraps from commercial sources, like restaurants, grocery stores, and office buildings, are not accepted at DPW Food Waste Drop-off options. Businesses should contract with a local solid waste collector (“hauler”) that can handle commercial organic waste to collect their materials. Click here for a list of registered solid waste collectors in the District.

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 backyard composting. 

3. While an intermediate to advanced option, home vermicomposting ("worm farming") 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 for services.

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.