Recycling Center To Accept Food Scraps Beginning June 5

Information via City of Stamford

STAMFORD, CT— Beginning June 5, Stamford residents can bring their food scraps to the Katrina Mygatt Recycling Center during normal operating hours, according to the city website.

The drop-off site is in the first bay on the left as you drive in. There is a large sign and bright yellow toters for depositing bagged food scraps. No loose food can be put in the yellow toters. All scraps must be in compostable bags.

What Can Be Composted?

All table scraps - raw or cooked - plus items like dairy, meat, and cooked food not compostable in a backyard pile can be recycled:

• Leftover and Spoiled Food
• Fruits & Vegetables, including peels/rinds (No stickers, bands, or ties)
• Meat & Poultry (bones ok)
• Fish & Shellfish (no oyster or clam shells)
• Dairy Products
• Bread & Pasta
• Rice & Grains
• Egg Shells
• Chips & Snacks
• Nuts & Seeds
• Coffee Grounds & Tea Bags (no staples)
• White Paper Towels & Napkins
• Cut Flowers
• Wood Chopsticks

The following items are NOT accepted:

Plastic bags. Wipes. Trash. Plastic, glass, metal items. Paper nor cardboard items currently part of Stamford’s weekly curbside recycling program. Clam and oyster shells, as they will break the compost machine and should never go into your scrapped items.

Rolls of $2 compostable bags and an optional $20 home recycling kit can be purchased from the City at cost at the following locations, cash or check only:

• Stamford Government Center: 888 Washington Blvd; Cashier’s Office, 8:30am-4pm Monday-Friday
• The Stamford Scale House (near Katrina Mygatt): 101 Harbor View Ave, 6am-2pm Monday-Saturday

Compostable bags of many sizes and countertop food scrap containers can be purchased online or at retail stores. Bags must be compostable, not just recyclable.

"Food scraps are one of the largest components of trash sent to landfills and incinerators. Decomposing in landfills, food waste is a major source of methane – a powerful greenhouse gas. But food waste is not trash; it is a resource that can be turned into compost that enriches our soil," according to the City of Stamford Recycling and Sanitation website. "The City of Stamford landfills 55,000 tons of garbage each year costing $75 per ton. Some 30-40% of our garbage is food or organic waste that could be composted."

For more information on the Stamford Food Scrap Recycling Initiative, click here.