Why & How To Recycle Food Scraps in Rockland County, NY

Recycling food scraps is a low-cost way for almost anyone to reduce waste, leaving more food for those in need and helping the environment while potentially saving over $1000 each year (2021, BBC News).

1. Determine if your town or city has a food scrap recycling program.

While composting can be done at home, some cities make recycling food scraps easier on their citizens by providing composting supplies and services. Rockland County, New York does this through Rockland Green’s Food Scrap Recycling Program in partnership with the Town of Orangetown, NY.

So the first step to composting anything is determining where to put it. If at-home or on-site isn’t an option, see if your city has a composting program. Many Rockland towns offer curbside pickup of food scraps.

Watch the video below or read our step-by-step guide to learn how the entire family can get involved in recycling food scraps in Rockland County, for little or no cost.

Find a local composting facility if your town doesn’t offer a food scrap recycling program. Some facilities offer free drop-off for food scraps, while others may charge a small fee. If your town offers curbside pickup, follow the guidelines below for separating food scraps from other waste.

Generally, food scraps should be placed in a separate container or bag and put out for pickup on the designated day. If you’re dropping off your food scraps at a composting facility, check their guidelines for what materials they accept and any container requirements. Some facilities may require that food scraps be in a specific type of container.

2. Gather Food Scraps in Food Safe Containers

There’s some debate on what can and can’t be composted, so start simply. Use easy-to-compost items, you use most regularly such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, and other organic materials.

Be sure to store your food scraps in a compost bin or airtight container to avoid odors and line your bin with the free but required compostable brown bags if you’re using Rockland Green. You’ll also want to keep the bin or container in a cool, dry place, and add new scraps as you generate them.

3. Transfer Your Compost

Whether loose or bagged, to your yard or to Rockland Green, the final step is to transfer the compost to its composite site. If it’s loose, you’re likely composting it yourself so transfer it to your composting pile. If it’s bagged, you’re likely transferring it into your town’s large white or green bin or your own bin to store until you’re ready to drop them off or have them picked up.

Take your food scraps to the composting facility or put them out for curbside pickup on the designated day. If you need help transferring your food scraps to a local Rockland composting facility, schedule a single or weekly food scrap pickup with us now.

Rockland County makes it pretty simple to recycle food scraps for little or no cost so we can all reduce waste and protect the environment.