Residents can now drop off food scraps at 13 Chicago Public Library branches as the city expands its compost program.
The new locations bring the list of drop-off sites to 33 citywide, part of officials’ goal of making the program “more accessible for all residents.” The program is free for Chicagoans, who can sign up online.
“Diverting food waste from landfills to composting is one of the easiest and most impactful actions individuals and cities can take to fight climate change,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “This collaboration between CPL and DSS makes composting even more convenient for Chicago residents and builds on our shared vision of a cleaner, greener and healthier city.”
Most types of food scraps — including fruit and vegetable peels, meat and fish, bones, dairy products such as cheese, eggshells and coffee grounds — are accepted. However, yard waste, paper, cardboard, plastic bags, teabags and coffee filters aren’t accepted.
While the city is hoping to further expand the program in the future as well, so far the program has diverted one million pounds of food waste from 7,400 households into compost since it was created in 2023, according to city officials.
It’s part of local efforts to reduce methane emissions — which are produced by food waste decomposing in landfills — as part of its 2022 Climate Action Plan and 2021 Waste Strategy.
Green bins with locks to keep animals out can be located at each of the drop off sites. The recently added Chicago Public Library locations are as follows:
- Avalon Branch, 8148 S. Stony Island Ave.
- Dunning Branch, 7455 W. Cornelia Ave.
- Edgebrook Branch, 5331 W. Devon Ave.
- Hegewisch Branch, 3048 E. 130th St.
- Lincoln Belmont Branch, 1659 W. Melrose St.
- Portage-Cragin Branch, 5108 W. Belmont Ave.
- Scottsdale Branch, 4101 W. 79th St.
- Sherman Park Branch, 5440 S. Racine Ave.
- Toman Branch, 2708 S. Pulaski Road
- Uptown Branch, 929 W. Buena Ave.
- Vodak-East Branch, 3710 E. 106th St.
- West Chicago Avenue Branch, 4856 W. Chicago Ave.
- Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St.