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Food Scraps Drop-Off Program
The Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department offers drop-off for food scraps and compostable products (paper plates, napkins, clamshells) for composting. This program offers the public the opportunity to divert their compostable material from the trash and turn it into beneficial, beautiful compost.
- No charge for households
- Compostable material must be loose or in a compostable bag
- Anything that was once alive can be composted. Scroll down for more details on what can be composted.
What goes in the compost cart?
- Anything that used to be alive. Really.
- Food scraps, including meat, cheese, yogurt
- Dirty paper – Pizza boxes, paper plates, paper napkins
- Cardboard, sandwich wrapping paper
- Wax-coated cardboard
- Flowers
- Compostables can even include hair, laundry dryer lint, beverages, spoiled meat, rotten fruit/vegetables
- BPI-certified products
NOT these items:
- Plastics that are not BPI certified
- Paper cups (Paper cups and clean, empty paper containers are now accepted in mixed recycling collection.)
- Roadkill/dead wildlife
- Just the food – not the containers (no Styrofoam or plastics)
- Harsh cleaning agents (paper towels used with bleach, etc.)
Are your wares actually compostable? Check with BPI before purchasing!
Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) Certification
www.bpiworld.org
The BPI is a non-profit association with the largest certification program for compostable products and packaging in North America. Their compostable logo verifies that products and packaging have been independently tested and verified according to scientifically based standards. BPI promotes best practices for the diversion and recovery of compostable materials through municipal and commercial composting.