Food Waste

  • Photo of food scraps
  • DON’T put food waste in curbside recycling
  • DO put food waste out with your curbside trash
  • DO try to compost whatever food waste you can to reduce how much ends up in the landfill

About These Items

Food waste refers to left-over food and the food scraps generated from preparing food, which go uneaten and are subsequently discarded. The City of Pittsburgh does not collect food waste for recycling (aka, composting) but does accept it as curbside garbage for the landfill.

Much of the food waste sent to the landfill in Pittsburgh actually could be recycled through composting. The City of Pittsburgh does not have a comprehensive composting program for food waste but there are some options for Pittsburghers (see below).

The Scale and Impact of Food Waste

It’s estimated that globally food waste contributes to 7% of greenhouse gases that are causing climate change. The United States leads the world in the amount of food waste we generate, with food waste taking up more space in US landfills than any other category of waste. It’s estimated that 30-40% of the US food supply ends up as food waste (that’s about 219 pounds per person per year). Food waste is also estimated to be 22% of the solid waste collected for disposal by cities, making it a significant component of the costs for municipal waste programs. (More info in this 2020 report on food waste in the US)

Resources to Compost Food Waste in PGH

A great way to recycle your food waste is to compost it. Composting is on the rise in Pittsburgh and there are a number of local resources to help you get started.

Attend a Workshop

Pennsylvania Resource Council runs multiple workshops each year on composting that not only train you on how to get started, but also provide you with an outdoor compost bin.

Use a Composting Service

If you can’t compost at your home, local companies Shadyside Worms and Worm Return provide curbside pickup of food scraps for composting for a monthly fee. They also both offer workshops on vermicomposting with worms. Often composting pickup services will also drop-off finished compost to replenish your yard or garden- so you can have the benefits of composting, without maintaining your own compost pile.

Drop-off Your Food Waste

This summer the City partnered with Worm Return to provide a no-cost food waste drop-off at the East Liberty Farmers’ Market. The market is currently closed for the winter but these drop-offs will likely return in the spring.

You can also check out Share Waste to pair up with someone with a compost bin who wants your material – food scraps or yard debris.

More Info

If you want to know more about composting in Pittsburgh, The Incline published a guide in 2018 that gives a lot of good information.  The EPA also has an online guide to composting at home.

Compost for the Future

Composting your food waste is a cheap way to replenish your yard or garden’s nutrients for great gardens but the impact goes beyond your own home. Food waste at landfills decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen) producing methane gas, one of the most powerful greenhouse gases. Home composting, in contrast, creates a net-reduction in greenhouse gasses, because it takes place through aerobic decomposition and produces mostly carbon dioxide. In addition, taking food and yard waste out of the city waste stream reduces the money and fuel that the city spends on waste transport and landfill dumping. It also removes food waste from your own kitchen trash can, allowing you to go longer between emptying your trash, which in turn cuts down on the number of plastic bags you use yearly for your household trash. All of these are little things, but as the number of Pittsburghers who are composting continues to grow, together we can have a big impact and help Pittsburgh meet its Zero Waste goals.

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