Compost Food Scraps

Here are your location options for food scraps composting

One this page you will find:

Farmers' market food scraps drop-off information
Community garden composting
Private composting information

Seasonal Farmers' Market Drop-Off

Food scraps recycling drop-off is available at a few locations around Madison.

Residents can bring the right kind of food scraps we can accept in any container they choose to one of these locations for composting.

Eastside Farmers' Market

202 S. Ingersoll St within McPike Park

Tuesday evenings, 4:00pm to 7:00pm

April 30, 2024 to October 29, 2024

South Madison Farmers' Market

1602 S Park St; corner of S. Park St and W. Wingra Dr

Tuesday afternoons/evenings, 2:00pm to 6:00pm

May 21, 2024 to October 29, 2024

Westside Community Market

505 S. Rosa Rd; within the Research Park area

Saturday mornings, 7:00am to 12:30pm

July 20, 2024 to October 5, 2024

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The below foods are banned from the market food scraps drop-off program.

Do not bring these to the market sites.

The below list will be expanded if additional banned items become necessary

All meat & bones (including fish and shellfish)
Food products cooked with or in fats, oils, and grease
Prepared foods
Black walnuts
Containers of fats, oils, and grease
All dairy products
Pastas
Paper products, including bags & newspaper
Compostable plastics, including compostable bags & compostable tableware
Produce stickers, twist ties, and other non-compostable material etc.
Pet waste & diapers
Traditional plastics
Metal items
Glass items
Trash

Community Garden Composting

Your community garden may have a a very small program composting option for gardeners or the immediate neighborhood.

One garden community garden in Madison has a program started (see below) though others may be available. Contact the garden coordinator near you to see if a community garden composting option is available.

Prairie Hills Community Garden at Lucy Lincoln Hiestand Park

Contact the Prairie Hills garden coordinator to see how to participate.

Material accepted here would be the same as what can be composted in your own backyard.

Private Composting Companies

These private companies may be able to provide collection to your home or business for a fee:

Earth Stew: 608-213-6990
Curbside Composter: 608-338-4798
Green Box Compost: compost@withgreenbox.com

Commercial entities may also want to consider contacting the company that provides dumpster collection of trash and recycling to see if they can offer food scraps services.

Organix Recycling may also be able to provide some collection services.

Farmers' market drop-off sites are for residents. They can't support the volume generated by restaurants, food manufacturers, and businesses.

Compost Food Scraps