Compost Food Scraps
One this page you will find:
City of Madison farmers' market food scraps drop-off information
Streets Division Drop-off Sites (Opens June 1, 2026)
Items Not Accepted at the Food Scraps Drop Off Sites
The below foods are banned from the market food scraps drop-off program.
Do not bring these to the market sites.
Banned Items
- All meat & bones (including fish and shellfish)
- Food products cooked with or in fats, oils, and grease
- Prepared foods, including baked goods
- 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
- Rubber bands and other non-compostable material etc.
- Pet waste & diapers
- Traditional plastics
- Metal items
- Glass items
- Trash
What about black walnuts, pits & nutshells (avocado seeds peach pits, pistachio shells, etc.)?
The farmer that receives the food scraps at the farmers' market does not like these since they break down so slowly, so do not take them to the market site.
The drop-off site scraps go to a different location, and we can accept black walnuts, pits, and nutshells at the Streets Division drop-off site locations.
What happens to the food scraps?
Farmers' Market: Scraps collected at the market sites are hauled to Robert Pierce's Farm to be composted.
Streets Division Drop-off Sites: Scraps collected here, and at the Dane County scrap stops, go to Purple Cow Organics to be composted.
Track Our 2026 Progress
In 2026, we have a goal of collecting 48,000 pounds of food scraps at our four farmer's market drop-off locations.
That is the same weight as 24 giraffes.
This chart will provide a week-by-week accounting of the weight progress toward that goal.
Collection begins on April 11, 2026.
| Collection Week | Number of Market Sites | Pounds Collected this Week | Total Pounds Collected | Equivalent Number of Giraffes in Food Scraps Collected (1 giraffe = 2,000 pounds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (4/11) | 1 | 226.2 | 226.2 | 0.11 |
| Week 2 (4/18) | 1 | 311.4 | 537.6 | 0.27 |
| Week 3 (4/25 & 4/28) | 2 | 615.9 | 1,153.5 | 0.58 |
| Week 4 (5/2 & 5/5) | 2 | 683.2 | 1,836.7 | 0.92 |
Our 2025 Goal
In 2025, we had a goal of collecting 40,000 pounds of food scraps, which is roughly the equivalent of a small herd.
And yes, we hit our goal!
The chart shows you the week-by-week accounting for our weight progress through the year.
| Collection Week | Pounds Collected | Overall Total Weight | Total Number of Bison Composted (One Bison = 2,000 Pounds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week One, 2 sites (April 29 & May 3) | 937.6 | 937.6 | 0.46 bison |
| Week Two, 2 sites (May 6 & May 10) | 1,034.0 | 1,971.6 | 0.98 bison |
| Week Three, 2 sites (May 13 & May 17) | 1,018.3 | 2,989.9 | 1 and .49 bison |
| Week Four, 2 sites (May 20 & May 24) | 1,030.1 | 4,020.0 | 2 and .01 bison |
| Week Five, 2 sites (May 27 & May 31) | 1,266.3 | 5,286.3 | 2 and .64 bison |
| Week Six, 3 Sites (June 3 & June 7) | 1,282.8 | 6,569.1 | 3 and .28 bison |
| Week Seven, 3 Sites (June 10 & June 14) | 1,294.9 | 7,864.0 | 3 and .93 bison |
| Week Eight, 3 Sites (June 17 & June 21) | 1,288.0 | 9,152.0 | 4 and .58 bison |
| Week Nine, 3 Sites (June 24 & June 28) | 1,440.7 | 10,592.7 | 5 and .30 bison |
| Week 10; 3 Sites (July 1 & July 5) | 1,670.5 | 12,263.2 | 6 and .13 bison |
| Week 11; 3 Sites (July 8 & July 12) | 1,769.0 | 14,032.2 | 7 and .02 bison |
| Week 12; 3 Sites (July 15 & July 19) | 1,544.3 | 15,576.5 | 7 and .79 bison |
| Week 13; 3 sites (July 22 & July 26) | 1,832.0 | 17,408.5 | 8 and .70 bison |
| Week 14; 3 sites (July 29 & August 2) | 1,868.7 | 19,277.2 | 9 and .64 bison |
| Week 15; 3 sites (August 5 & August 9) | 1,728.6 | 21,005.8 | 10 and .50 bison (We're halfway there!) |
| Week 16; 3 sites (August 12 & August 16) | 2,047.1 | 23,052.9 | 11 and .53 bison |
| Week 17; 3 sites (August 19 & August 23) | 1,851.0 | 24,903.9 | 12 and .45 bison |
| Week 18; 3 sites (August 26 & August 30) | 1,850.8 | 26,754.7 | 13 and .37 bison |
| Week 19; 3 sites (September 2 & 6) | 1,899.8 | 28,654.5 | 14 and .33 bison |
| Week 20; 3 sites (September 9 & 13) | 1,523.2 | 30,177.7 | 15 and .09 bison |
| Week 21; 3 sites (September 16 & 20) | 1,572.0 | 31, 749.7 | 15 and .87 bison |
| Week 22; 3 sites (September 23 & 27) | 1,363.5 | 33,113.2 | 16 and .56 bison |
| Week 23; 3 sites (September 30 & October 4) | 1,497.2 | 34,610.4 | 17 and .31 bison |
| Week 24; 3 sites (October 4 & October 11) | 1,322.4 | 35,932.8 | 17 and .96 bison |
| Week 25; 3 sites (October 14 & October 18) | 1,209.1 | 37,141.9 | 18 and .57 bison |
| Week 26; 3 sites (October 21 & October 25) | 1,467.6 | 38,609.5 | 19 and .30 bison |
LAST MARKET DATES for 2025: Week 27; 3 sites (October 28 & November 1) | 1,817.6 | 40,427.1 | 20 and .21 bison (WE DID IT!) |
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Image credit: Dane County Waste and RenewablesPhoto is from opening day at the Warner Park Scrap Stop. Staff will not be there when you arrive with scraps. The drop-off is self-serve.
Image credit: Dane County Waste and Renewables -
Image credit: Dane County Waste and RenewablesPhoto taken at the Henry Vilas Zoo Scrap Stop off S. Orchard Dr. on opening day. Staff will not be there when you arrive with scraps. The drop-off is self-serve.
Image credit: Dane County Waste and Renewables
