Public Works and Environmental Services

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Mon. - Fri.
703-324-5230 TTY 711
12000 Government Center Parkway
Suite 458, Fairfax, Va 22035
Eric Forbes
Director, Solid Waste Management

Department Resources

Related Resources

Organics and Food Waste Reduction

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Refuse

Remember, the first goal of sustainability is reduction. Don't rely solely on composting as a solution for managing organic waste. 

Wasted Food ScaleIn 2024, the County conducted a waste characterization study and found that 30% of our trash is organics, or food and yard waste. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one-third of all food in the United States ends up as waste rather than eaten. For more information on the most preferred ways to manage food waste, check out the Wasted Food Scale from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Topics

Food Waste Reduction

Composting

Curbside Collection

Grasscycling and Leafcycling

Food Waste Reduction

Tips for Food Waste Reduction

Check out SaveTheFood’s meal prep calculator when planning your weekly meals. The website’s “guest-imator” tool is an interactive dinner party calculator that helps you estimate how much food you need for your guests.

Use pieces that you normally do not eat, such as vegetable stems, peels, and bones. Browse SaveTheFood’s recipes for inspiration.

Sourced from Food Product Dating:

  • "Best if Used By/Before" - when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is NOT a purchase or safety date.
  • "Sell-By" - tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is NOT a safety date.
  • "Use-By" - last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date EXCEPT when used on infant formula.
  • "Freeze-By" - when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. It is NOT a purchase or safety date.

Properly store food in the freezer, refrigerator, or pantry so that it keeps fresh longer. Learn more here - Safe Food Storage | Nutrition.gov.

Many County non-profit partners will accept donated food. Visit this link to find a partner near you - Service Search NCS.

Trash Talk: Food Waste

Check out our new Trash Talk videos on Food Waste: 

View IN English VIEW IN SPanish
Composting

Composting Organic Waste

Composting is nature’s way of recycling. It is the controlled breakdown of organic matter such as yard waste, food scraps, and other organic material that produces a nutrient rich soil. In nature, when a leaf falls to the forest floor, it is eaten by a host of creatures.  These include worms, insects, and microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Common sources of organic waste include eggshells, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels, and yard waste. Even the food left on your plate can be classified as organic waste. Many people turn their organic waste into compost and use it in their gardens.

Composting improves the soil’s porosity and reduces the frequency of watering. Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and Virginia Cooperative Extension have information you can use to start composting.
 

Composting at a farmer's market.
Composting at a farmer's market.

Composting Options

Fairfax County residents have several options for managing their organic waste. Whether you decide to compost at home, contract for curbside collection, or drop your compost off at one of our facilities or Farmers Markets, know that you will be doing your part to make the environment a safer, cleaner place for everyone.

Reminder: Please note the differences in what organics are accepted for each system.

Curbside Collection

Composting

You can buy a compost bin or make one yourself. In a few months, you will have a great (and free) soil amendment for your garden and flowers.

Composting involves combining food waste and yard waste to help bring vital nutrients back to the soil. To compost correctly and efficiently, there are four ingredients in the recipe: Nitrogen, Carbon, Oxygen and Water. To learn more about the different types of at-home compost systems and what goes into a home compost bin visit Compost: What Is It and What's It To You | VCE Publications | Virginia Tech (vt.edu).

Instead of purchasing soil amendments, this compost can be used in your home gardens. It also provides many other benefits, such as improving soil porosity, reducing soil erosion, and retaining moisture.

 

Compost can be dropped off at the I-95 Landfill Complex and the I-66 Transfer Station year round. You can also drop off food waste at all Fairfax County Farmers Markets. Review this list of what is accepted and not accepted prior to drop-off.

Compost Yes Nuts Breads, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Meat, Seafood Bones Cheese and Dairy Salad Vegetables Flowers Tea Bags and Loose Tea Egg Shells Fruit Compostable Bags Coffee Grounds Uncoated Paper Plates Uncoated Paper Bags Paper towels and Napkins (Kitchen Only) Compost No: Plastic Bags or Wrappers, Foil, Plastic Coated Cardboard, Oil or Grease, Styrofoam™

Compost Yes

  • Nuts
  • Breads, Cereal, Rice and Pasta
  • Meat, Seafood Bones
  • Cheese and Dairy
  • Salad
  • Vegetables
  • Flowers
  • Tea Bags and Loose Tea

 

  • Egg Shells
  • Fruit
  • Compostable Bags
  • Coffee Grounds
  • Uncoated Paper Plates
  • Uncoated Paper Bags
  • Paper towels and Napkins (Kitchen Only)

Compost No

  • Plastic Bags or Wrappers
  • Foil
  • Plastic Coated Cardboard
  • Oil or Grease
  • Styrofoam™
  1. I-66 Transfer Station Food Scrap Drop-Off Location
    Compost Drop Off Site
    Compost Drop Off bins

     
  2. Fairfax County Park Authority Farmers Markets Drop-Off
    Compost Drop Off Site picture 1 Farmer's markert
    Compost Drop Off Site picture 2 Farmer's market

Yard waste and food waste can both be collected curbside.

  1. Yard waste includes grass clippings, leaves, straw, flowers, small prunings, and brush (i.e., branches and twigs smaller than 4-feet in length) generated during general yard maintenance. Yard waste does not include materials produced during tree removal, land clearing, or home renovation projects such as tree stumps, lumber treated wood, pallets, sawdust, dirt, mulch, sod, or food waste.
     
    Yard waste (leaves and grass) is generally collected by your collector separately from trash and recyclables from March through December. The yard waste is delivered to composting facilities that convert the materials into compost, a nutrient-rich, soil-like material. Woody materials are taken to the county's facilities, where they are ground into mulch and available to residents at no cost.
     
  2. There are companies operating in Fairfax County that will pick up your food waste. This is a great option for people who want to manage their food waste sustainably but are unable to compost at home. For a list of the companies that are registered to collect food waste, visit Permitted Solid Waste Collection Companies.
Grasscycling and Leafcycling

Grasscycling and Leafcycling

Rather than collecting, bagging, and sending your grass and leaves off for disposal, explore an alternative approach that benefits both your time and your garden. Consider mulching your leaves and grass into your lawn.

Composting Yard Waste

Grasscycling is simply a matter of leaving your grass clippings on the lawn. The clippings quickly decompose, returning nutrients to the soil. This practice saves time, money, and protects the environment. Refer to your owner's manual or contact a local lawnmower dealer to learn if you can safely grasscycle with your existing mower. You may need to purchase a retrofit kit or a mulching mower.

Tired of raking or blowing leaves every year? Consider mulching them with your mower directly into the turf. Learn how through the Virginia Cooperative Extension Office.

Learn more about composting yard waste

Frequently Asked Questions

The Solid Waste Management Program (SWMP) does not host workshops at this time. SWMP is directing all residents interested in attending at-home composting workshops to visit our County partners to find a workshop near you. Partners include Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and Master Gardeners.

You can drop off your compost at all ten Fairfax County Park Authority run Farmers Markets. Please visit the Farmers Market webpage for locations and hours.

There are two County SWMP facilities that accept food scraps: the I-66 Transfer Station and the I-95 Landfill Complex. Visit each facility’s webpage for hours of operation.

You can store food waste in a closed container on your counter or in your fridge or freezer. You can use something like an old coffee canister, a laundry pod container (they have the screw-on lids) or a compost caddy that is specially designed to hold food waste.

If you choose to line your collection container, there are many options that do not require a special product. Collect scraps in newspaper and discard together or use a regular plastic bag to empty scraps into the green bin, then throw away the bag. You can also make a bin liner from newspaper – watch this video!

If you would like to use compostable bags as liners, the product should be BPI Certified compostable. Liners are available through many online retailers.

Empty and wash the kitchen container regularly like you would with dishware. Lining the container with compostable bags or other material will make cleaning up easier. Some people store food scraps in bags or containers inside the freezer until they drop it off. If storing food waste outside, make sure the container you have contains a latch and is placed in a shaded area, especially during warm weather. Alternate layers of food scraps with shredded paper or newspaper to absorb moisture and odors.

It will if the container is accessible. Make sure the container you put outside has a tight-fitting lid. Consider a tumbler compost bin system.

Review the list of food waste and items accepted listed below. These facilities will accept meat, dairy, and leftovers. Food-soiled paper like tea bags, coffee filters, napkins, and paper plates are also allowed

Compost Yes

  • Nuts
  • Breads, Cereal, Rice and Pasta
  • Meat, Seafood Bones
  • Cheese and Dairy
  • Salad
  • Vegetables
  • Flowers
  • Tea Bags and Loose Tea

 

  • Egg Shells
  • Fruit
  • Compostable Bags
  • Coffee Grounds
  • Uncoated Paper Plates
  • Uncoated Paper Bags
  • Paper towels and Napkins (Kitchen Only)

Compost No

  • Plastic Bags or Wrappers
  • Foil
  • Plastic Coated Cardboard
  • Oil or Grease
  • Styrofoam™

You should never place meat and bones in your home composting bin. They will attract maggots and other unwanted pests. You can drop off meat and bones at the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex and the Farmers Markets. The commercial composting facilities that take the food scrapes are designed to compost these materials, as well as paper and certified compostable plastic liners.

The waste is taken to a local commercial composting facility. Finished compost is used for landscaping and agriculture.

It is always better to have food consumed by people or animals. Composting is intended to divert food that would otherwise go into the trash and turn it into a useful product. We encourage the support of local food banks, especially for dry goods. Here are some resources for food donation.

There are several organizations in the area that attempt to match sources of food with organizations that can distribute it to those in need. Organizations in Fairfax County that accept donations of food can be found in the Human Services Resource Guide search: Food.

Virginia law protects those who donate food from civil liability in certain cases. Learn more here: Liability Exemptions When Donating Food to Hunger Relief Organizations in Virginia.

More About Recycling and Trash

Customers

Recycling and Trash Home
Fairfax County Residents
County Collection Customers
Trash and Disposal Industry
Businesses
Educators, Ambassadors and Students

Services

Pay Bill Online
Apply for a Permit
Schedule a Special Pickup (Customers only)
Report Missed Pickup (Customers only)
Request Trash/Recycling Cart Repair/Replace (Customers only)
Vacuum Leaf Collection (Leaf Customers only)
Report Litter
Request A Tour or Guest Speaker
Mulch

More Resources

Locations, Hours, Phone
Recycle or Trash - What Goes Where?
A- Z Index of Topics
Recycling and Trash FAQs
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Publications, Plans and County Code
Forms and Applications
Safety
Subscribe to Fairfax Recycler
Contact Us
Close
Fairfax Virtual Assistant

Related Resources