Frequency
Empty it before it turns
More pickups usually fix odor faster than more capacity. Set the schedule to the busy days, not the average.
Organics and food waste service: donate first, then collect the rest
Food scraps are heavy, wet and the stream most likely to smell. EPA's Wasted Food Scale puts prevention and donation first, and composting and anaerobic digestion above landfill.1 Where a local program takes commercial food scraps, an organics container collects what is left, and some states and cities require it.
- 150 lbA 64 gallon cart of food waste
- DonateBefore you collect
- Lids shutPickups to match
Why it is its own stream
Three bins at the back door
An organics program only works if the cart holds what the composting or digestion facility can take. Each program sets its own list; this is the usual shape of it.
Food scraps cart
Usually in
- Fruit and vegetable trimmings
- Plate scrapings
- Spoiled food, unpackaged
- Whatever else the local program lists
Ask the facility
Compostable packaging
- Compostable cups, plates and cutlery
- Compostable bags and liners
EPA says certified compostable products are designed for commercial composting facilities only, and some of those facilities do not accept them.2
Not in organics
Keep out
- Plastic film, wrap and regular plastic bags
- Regular plastic cutlery and cups
- Cans, glass and foil
- Grease and used cooking oil
- Liquids
Which container
Carts, an organics container, or the trash compactor?
Food scraps are dense, so the container is sized by weight a person can move and how often it is emptied.
- Where a program exists
An organics container
Carts or a container set beside the trash and recycling, emptied on a schedule by a hauler that takes food scraps to a composting or digestion facility.
- Before collection
Food donation
Edible food that is safe to eat goes to a food recovery organization first. EPA calls donating one of the most preferred pathways.1
- If no program
A self-contained compactor
Where nobody takes food scraps, wet waste usually goes in a self-contained compactor that keeps liquid sealed. It is still trash. See compactors and balers.
How much
Carts a week, in pounds, against the laws
EPA puts a full 64 gallon cart of food waste at about 150 pounds.3 Count the carts you would fill in a normal week and compare the weight with the thresholds on our commercial recycling laws page.
| Full 64 gallon carts a week | About | Where that weight starts to matter |
|---|---|---|
| 2 carts | 300 lb | Vermont covers any amount of food scraps |
| 7 carts | 1,050 lb | Past Massachusetts' commercial food ban threshold of half a ton a week |
| 14 carts | 2,100 lb | Past Maryland's 1 ton a week, if a facility is within 30 miles |
| 27 carts | 4,050 lb | Past New York's 2 tons a week through 2026, if a facility is within 25 miles |
Planning figures only. Thresholds and distances are summarized from our commercial recycling laws tracker, which links each rule to its text; other states use annual tons or trash volume instead. EPA also lists restaurant food waste at about 396 pounds and food waste at about 463 pounds a loose cubic yard,3 so a container of food scraps reaches a weight limit long before it looks full.
Odor and pests
Smell is a schedule problem
Food scraps that sit for days are what smell and draw pests. Most fixes are about frequency and lids, not a bigger container.
Lids
Closed every night
Bags beside the cart and lids that will not close draw pests. Size the carts and pickups so every lid shuts.
The pad
Keep the area clean
Leaks and spills around the carts add to the smell. Tell us when a cart is damaged or leaking and we contact the provider.
Peaks
Plan the busy weeks
Holidays, events, banquets and move-in weeks fill carts faster. Ask for an extra pickup before the week, not after.
Setting it up
Six steps to an organics stream that stays clean
Prevent and donate first
Order and prep to cut waste, and send safe, edible surplus to a food recovery organization.
Check the local program
Ask whether a hauler near you takes commercial food scraps, and get its accepted list.
Measure a normal week
Count carts or weigh a few days, including a busy one.
Put bins at the prep line
Small, labeled bins where food is scraped, emptied into the outside carts.
Train and sign it
Pictures of what goes in, in the languages your staff read. Recheck after staff changes.
Keep the weights
Tons by stream from hauler and facility tickets, if a law or a report asks for them.
Keep it out
What stays out of the organics cart
Contamination is how an organics load gets rejected. The composting or digestion facility has the final say on what it takes.
- Plastic, film and regular bagsOrdinary plastic does not compost. Bag-free or program-approved liners only.
- Compostable products the facility will not takeEPA notes that some commercial composting facilities do not accept compostable products.2 Ask before you switch your packaging.
- Grease and used cooking oilThese stay with your grease or rendering service. We do not arrange them, and they stay out of the dumpster and the compactor too.
- Edible food that could be donatedDonation ranks above composting and digestion on EPA's Wasted Food Scale.1
Laws and rules
Where food scraps are regulated
Food scrap rules come from your state and city. Our commercial recycling laws tracker has the trigger for each; these are the primary sources we checked for this guide.
U.S. EPA
The Wasted Food Scale
EPA ranks prevention, donation, upcycling and feeding animals first, then anaerobic digestion and composting, with landfill, incineration and down the drain least preferred because landfilled food generates methane.1
California SB 1383
Organics and edible food
California set a 2025 goal of 75 percent less organic waste sent to landfills, and of 20 percent of unsold, still-edible food going to food recovery organizations. Jurisdictions must provide organic waste collection to all residents and businesses.4
Vermont Universal Recycling Law
Everyone, since 2020
Since July 1, 2020, everyone in Vermont has had to keep food scraps out of the trash, and haulers must offer food scrap pickup to businesses and institutions unless another hauler does.5
Other states and cities
Thresholds and distance
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Washington cover businesses above a food waste or volume threshold, often only near a facility. See the tracker for each.
How it works with Detritus
One request for the organics stream
Send one request. Where a local program takes commercial food scraps, we arrange an organics container from a local provider, beside your trash and recycling, on one agreement and one invoice. Availability varies by market, so ask us whether a program exists at your address. Grease and used cooking oil are not part of what we arrange.
- Each address, and the kind of operation
- Food scraps a week, in carts or pounds
- What you use for trash and recycling today
- Whether a state or city rule covers you
- The enclosure: space, gate and truck access
- Whether you need weights for a report
Decide
If this, then that
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| A restaurant with daily prep waste | An organics container where a program exists. See restaurants and food service |
| A hotel with banquets | Donate edible surplus first, then organics. See hotels and hospitality |
| A school or campus dining hall | Pickups that follow the calendar. See schools and universities |
| A state or city rule may cover you | Check the trigger on commercial recycling laws |
| No program takes food scraps near you | Wet waste in a self-contained compactor or a front-load container, picked up often enough to stay closed |
| You report diversion or ESG numbers | Weights by stream from tickets. See ESG waste reporting and diversion reports |
Common questions
Organics and food waste questions
Do you collect food scraps for composting?
Where a local program exists, we can arrange an organics container. Whether a composting or digestion facility takes commercial food scraps depends on the market, so ask us about your address.
How much does a cart of food waste weigh?
EPA puts a full 64 gallon cart of food waste at about 150 pounds, and loose food waste at about 463 pounds a cubic yard.
Can compostable plates and cutlery go in the organics cart?
Only if the facility takes them. EPA says certified compostable products are made for commercial composting facilities, and some of those facilities do not accept them.
How do I stop the organics container from smelling?
Empty it more often, keep the lids closed and the pad clean. Food that sits for days is what smells, so frequency usually beats a bigger container.
Should I donate food before composting it?
Yes, where it is safe to eat. EPA's Wasted Food Scale ranks donation above composting and anaerobic digestion.
Do you handle grease or used cooking oil?
No. Grease traps and used cooking oil stay with your grease or rendering service. Keep grease out of the dumpster and the compactor.
How do I get a quote?
Call sales at (888) 588-2607 or request a quote with each address, your weekly food scraps and what you use today.
Food scraps to separate?
Send the addresses and what each throws away. Local providers do the work; we hold the contract, own the problems, and send one bill.
Related guides
Sources
- U.S. EPA, Wasted Food Scale (last updated September 16, 2026): pathways from most to least preferred: prevent, donate, upcycle, feed animals, leave unharvested, anaerobic digestion with beneficial use of digestate, compost, anaerobic digestion without it, apply to land, and landfill, incinerate or send down the drain; donation is one of the most preferred pathways; landfilling is one of the least preferred because it generates methane. Checked November 5, 2026. epa.gov
- U.S. EPA, Identifying Sustainable Food Service and Food Service Ware (last updated October 5, 2026): certified commercially compostable products are designed to be composted only in commercial composting facilities, availability of such facilities across the country is limited, and some commercial composting facilities do not accept compostable products. Checked November 5, 2026. epa.gov
- U.S. EPA, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016): old corrugated containers flattened 106 lb per cubic yard, and corrugated and chip board uncompacted 74.54 lb; refrigerator 250 lb, clothes washer 150, stove 150, clothes dryer 125 and dishwasher 125 lb per unit; major appliances 145 lb per loose cubic yard; desktop 27 lb, laptop 9.8, CRT monitor 40, flat panel monitor 24, CRT TV over 19 inch 73, flat panel TV 29 and printer 16.1 lb each; food waste 463 lb per cubic yard, restaurant food waste 396 lb per cubic yard, and a 64 gallon toter of food waste 150 lb. Checked November 4, 2026. epa.gov
- CalRecycle, California's Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy (SB 1383): a 2025 goal of 75 percent less organic waste sent to landfills and 20 percent of unsold, still-edible food recovered by food recovery organizations; jurisdictions must provide organic waste collection to all residents and businesses; some food service businesses must donate unsold food. Checked November 5, 2026. calrecycle.ca.gov
- Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont's Universal Recycling Law: starting July 1, 2020 everyone in Vermont had to keep food scraps out of the trash; trash haulers must offer food scrap pickup to businesses, institutions and apartment buildings of four or more units unless another hauler provides it. Checked November 5, 2026. dec.vermont.gov