Handling Food Scraps: at events

1) The key to handling food scraps at any size event, is knowing IN ADVANCE what's going to be in the compost. See our page "Working with Vendors" for tips on how to minimize unwanted items.

2) Determine IN ADVANCE, where the food scraps will end up, and who will take them away from the event.
  • For large events in the CVSWMD, Black Dirt Farm, and Cookville Compost, Vermont Compost, and Grow Compost may accept your food scraps. Check with your chosen hauler to find out if they can take your food scraps. Here's a list what can be accepted in these compost bins.
  • For smaller events, some options include:
    • Work with a local pig or chicken farmer (or other local person who has a composting system) to collect your food scraps afterward. Learn about swine feed.
    • For less than 48 gallons of food scraps, you can drive them in covered 5-gallon buckets to any of the compost facilities listed above.  Just make sure they are contaminant free (no non-organic matter, no paper, no plastic) and call the facility ahead.
    • If you have an even smaller amount of scraps (<20 gallons), you can bring to a food scrap drop off site.​
Vermont's Universal Recycling Law (Act 148) Bans recycleables, food scraps and leaf and yard waste from the landfill.  The ban on recyclables has been in place since July 1, 2015.  And by July 1, 2020, food scraps are banned from the landfill.  Now is the time to reimagine how to manage waste at your event, both to comply with Vermont law, and to offer an added benefit to your participants; you’re leading by example with best practice on waste reduction in Vermont!