Food Waste Composting

Font Size: + -

Print

composting news image Westerville's Food Waste Composting program was launched in 2020, and has diverted more than 500,000 pounds of waste since that time. Through this program, residents can place compostable items in marked 64-gallon receptacles at our four drop-off locations 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

The containers are serviced weekly by Franklin County-based The Compost Exchange.

You do not need a special bin or canister to drop-off food waste at any site. You may use a bucket or anything you have at home. A lid is helpful and will minimize odor as well as the attention of insects and/or animals/rodents.

Liners, if used, must be BPI-certified.

24/7 Food Waste Drop-off Locations

Empty your food scraps into one of the green, marked carts at the locations below. Take your receptacle home, rinse and repeat!

Highlands Park Aquatic Center, 245 S. Spring Rd. (near the dumpster on the south end of the park)

Huber Village Park, 362 Huber Village Blvd.

Temporary City Hall Building, 310 W. Main St.
Towers Park, 161 N. Spring Rd.

Westerville Parks Maintenance, 469 Westdale Ave.

Westerville Public Service, 350 Park Meadow Rd.

The Compost Exchange picks up from each of the sites once a week. Outside of Westerville, the closest food waste drop off location is at Ohio Mulch at 4665 Westerville Rd, Columbus, OH 43231.

What can you compost?

Accepted

Not Accepted

Fruits and vegetables (including woody pits and shells)
Baked goods and pasta
Beans and nuts
Egg and egg shells
Dairy (including up to 50 percent flowable liquids by volume per container)Please contact the Service Department if you plan to dispose of large quantities of any flowable liquids.
Meat and bones (uncooked and cooked)
Seafood and shellfish (uncooked and cooked)
Sugars
Fats (including flowable food grade oils up to 50 percent by volume per container) Please contact the Service Department if you plan to dispose of large quantities of any flowable liquids.
BPI Certified Compostable Plastic Packaging/Containers
ASTM 6400 compliant materials
Paper and paper products (non coated/no plastic parts)
Pizza boxes (no plastic parts)
Paper towels
Wax paper (non coated)
Tea bags, coffee filters and egg cartons (paper, cotton and/or fiber based)
Chopsticks (wooden, bamboo or other fiber-based)

Rock and stone of any kind
Glass and glass containers
Metal of any kind
Aluminum in any form (foils, cans, etc)
Styrofoam of any kind
Saran of any kind
Traditional petroleum-based plastics (containers, coatings, films, etc.)
Plastic film bags of any kind (snack food bags, sandwich bags, grocery bags, etc)
Cartons of any kind (milk cartons, juice cartons, etc.)
Clothing of any kind
Nitrate and rubber gloves
Healthcare and hygiene products of any kind
Electronics
Animal bedding and waste (no clay-based kitty litter)

Please note that yard trimmings should go in a yard waste bag and set out on the curb for Rumpke to pick up. Generally, when in doubt keep it out. However, very often, if it grows it goes.

For information on how to reduce food waste, check out SWACO’s "Save More Than Food" campaign.

Questions? Call the Westerville Public Service team at (614) 901-6740 or email publicservice@westerville.org.