Food Scraps Recycling at Farmers’ Markets Ends November 1, 2025

You are running out of time to bring food scraps to a farmers’ market drop-off site.

We are also short on time to reach the food scraps drop-off goal for this season.

Food Scraps Drop-off Opportunities at Farmers’ Markets

Here are the locations where you can bring food scraps for composting for free.

Also, you can pick up a free bucket, stickers, guides, and have your questions about composting answered from the market site staff.

On Tuesdays

From 4:00pm to 7:00pm, you can drop off food scraps at the Madison Eastside Farmers’ Market. The market is located in McPike Park at 202 S. Ingersoll St.

From 2:00pm to 6:00pm you can drop off food scraps for free at the South Madison Farmers’ Market. The market is located at the corner of S. Park Street and W. Wingra Drive.

You have two remaining chances to bring food scraps to these sites.

They are today, Tuesday, October 21, and next Tuesday, October 28.

On Saturdays

From 7am to 12:00pm you can drop off food scraps at the Westside Community Market. The market is located at 505 S. Rosa Rd.

The final two Saturdays for scraps at this site are October 25 and November 1.

What Scraps Can You Drop Off?

You can drop off the insides of your pumpkins that you carved for Halloween, spent coffee grounds, eggshells, potato peelings, apple cores, and so on.

On the food scraps website, you can see a list of acceptable items.

You can also ask the staff at the market sites what is appropriate.

What about the goal for this year?

We set a goal of 40,000 pounds of food scraps, which is roughly the weight of 20 large adult bison, or a small herd.

As of this release, we have collected a little over 37,000 pounds for the year.

With just two weeks left, the goal is within reach. But it’s very close. And it may even come down to the last day.

We hope to see you at the market and have your scraps join our herd so we can meet our goal. 

More Food Scraps Information

More information about food scraps, from prevention to composting, can be found on the City of Madison food scraps website.