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Food Scraps to Soil
Leftovers Are Not Destined for the Landfill
 Food waste makes up 8 to 12% of what is thrown away. Composting is a process by which organic material, food scraps and landscape matter, decomposes to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be used in garden, landscape and road projects, instead of taking up space in a landfill.
Since 1990, landscape waste (grass, leaves, sticks and branches) has been banned from Illinois landfills. The organic material is collected separately from solid waste, transported to a composting facility. In 2011, Illinois passed a law that allows food scraps to be commercially composted at permitted sites, to include fruits, vegetables, meat, coffee grounds, egg shells and paper waste. In prior years, food waste was either landfilled, disposed of down the drain, or when permitted, composted in a backyard bin.
Organics can be composted indoors using red wiggler worms and special bins or outdoors in a variety of containers. Always know local ordinances prior to composting outdoors. Read these composting instructions.
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