Food Waste Drop-Off

• Fruits and vegetables, salad
• Coffee grounds, paper coffee filters, loose tea, and paper and cotton tea bags
• 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 311. If calling from outside DC, dial (202) 737-4404, or visit 311.dc.gov to request a yard waste pick up year-round)
• Large amounts of leftover cooking oil and grease (small amounts are acceptable)
• Produce stickers, rubber bands, and twist ties
• Plastic bags, wraps, and film
• Plastic cups, straws, takeout containers, utensils, and packaging
• Compostable and biodegradable food serviceware (e.g., plastic cups, straws, takeout containers, utensils) and all packaging (biodegradable, compostable or other)
• 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 (List of DC’s common native and invasive plants)
• Chewing gum and tobacco
• Medications (prescribed and over-the-counter)

• You don't need any special equipment to participate in the Food Waste Drop-Off Program. Acceptable food waste and food-soiled paper can be gathered at home in food waste caddies, used containers, and paper or plastic bags. 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 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-#.
  • At staffed food waste drop-off locations each weekend, paper towels, spatulas, and hand sanitizer are provided for your convenience, and a Zero Waste DC team member may be available to answer questions. 

  Important note about bin liners (bags): While BPI-certified compostable bin liners, such as those that are made of brown paper and compostable bio-plastics, may be used as liners in food waste containers and are accepted at food waste drop-off sites, they should never go into traditional blue recycling bins. Due to the nature of flexible plastic films—compostable or not—can quickly become tangled and damage recycling equipment at sorting facilities. Therefore, plastic bin liners or bags should never be placed 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:

• Make sure the Bluetooth on your phone is turned on. Try turning your WiFi off and accessing the bin.
• Check that no one else is Bluetooth connected to the bin that you're trying to access. Each user has 60 seconds to access the bin before the next user can unlock it.
• If you're still having trouble, email DPW at [email protected] to help you further.

• Keeping food out of your trash makes trash 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 can be used to fertilize soil and produce more food.
• Diverting food from disposal will help the District achieve its goal to reduce waste by 80% by 2040.
• The U.S. throws away about 78 million tons of food each year, which equates to $145 billion in wasted food. (Source: ReFed.org)

If, in hotter months, you're having trouble with food waste smells, we have some tips. To help control odors at home, we recommend lining the bottom of food waste containers with newspaper or shredded paper and rinsing them between uses. This will help absorb moisture, which is the main source of the odors! Another tip is to store 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 with a grinder-dehydrator machine—several major manufacturers of these countertop appliances—and storing the dried material in a sealed container, such as a two-gallon bucket with a tight-fitting lid

• No, food scraps from commercial sources, like restaurants, grocery stores, and office buildings, are not accepted at DPW Food Waste Drop-off Sites. 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.

• 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. To join one, participants must apply, participate in a one-hour training, and agree to collaborate with fellow cooperative members to maintain the small community compost sites. You can learn more about the innovative Compost Cooperative program by clicking here.