Organics such as food and yard waste are one of the largest waste streams entering the Dane County landfill, at over one-third of all incoming materials. To recycle these resources, Dane County Waste + Renewables has partnered with Purple Cow Organics to compost organic materials diverted from the landfill. County staff work with businesses, haulers, municipalities, and residents to coordinate collection services and drop off materials at Purple Cow’s facilities.
For information about our free residential Food Scrap Stop program, our commerical food scrap pickup services, or the Rodefeld Landfill's brush + yard waste drop-off site -- see the sections below. For information about our Organics Management Grant and community resources related to compost, please visit our compost resources page here.
In partnership with host municipalities, the Dane County Department of Waste + Renewables is collecting food scraps from FREE residential drop-off locations across Dane County for composting at Purple Cow Organics.
24/7/365 community drop-off locations are open now in Madison, Middleton, Verona, Fitchburg, and McFarland. To register for the free program and receive the cart combination lock code, please review the accepted items and fill out the Resident Registration Form linked below.
Drop off your food scraps for FREE at the Dane County landfill! Residents may use the Clean Sweep facility entrance at 7020 Maahic Way to avoid large hauler traffic.
Please view the Accepted Food Scrap Item list below before you start collecting your scraps, find the Resident Registration Form below to sign up and receive the combination lock code.
Winter cart lock notice:
In order to avoid issues with opening the Food Scrap Stop carts during the winter, locks may be temporarily removed from drop-off locations if snow/ rain is expected. This is to prevent the locks from freezing shut, making carts inaccessible. We will be increasing our contamination monitoring during this time, and will add locks back to carts as weather permits. Please be aware that this is a part of our planned winter operations and not due to lost equipment.
Looking for tips on how to collect food scraps at home? Check out our guide below!
Click below to check out our program newsletter for this season's Food Scrap Stop updates!
If your business is interested in diverting their food scraps from the landfill, please fill out the form linked below. W&R staff will be in touch within two business days after submission, to connect you with program service resources. Contact the program coordinator with questions at: Gobster.Delaney@DaneCounty.Gov
For a list of items accepted with our commercial food scrap pickup service, click here.
Accepted items:
Yard waste (leaves, grass, plant debris)
Brush (clean branches, brush, and logs; at least 1" diameter)
Wood chips (clean, already chipped wood chips)
Not accepted: landscaping fabric/ plastic, root balls, rocks, soil, sod, burnt wood, coals, ashes, treated, painted, stained, or laminate wood
Plastic bags for containing yard waste will not be accepted. Paper yard waste bags are permitted for use only. If plastic bags filled with yard waste are received, you will be required to open bags in the yard waste bunker and remove the plastic.
See landfill guidelines for disposing of invasive weeds.
Yard waste now accepted for composting!
Clean brush, logs and branches are accepted for mulch recycling at the landfill's Wood Yard. Please do not mix brush for chipping with other yard waste, as these materials are handled separately and can be dropped off in adjacent marked piles within the wood yard. Clean wood chips may also be dropped off in the wood yard's mulch pile.
For questions about Dane County's organic recycling services, please contact the program coordinator Delaney Gobster at Gobster.Delaney@danecounty.gov or (608) 206-6952 for more information.
06.01.2025 Dane County launches food compost drop-off program, free for residents
05.29.2025 Dane Co. offers new 24/7 food scrap drop-off sites
05.29.2025 Dane County opens free 24/7 food scrap drop-off sites for composting
5.29.2025 Dane County Launching New Free, 24/7 Food Scrap Drop-Off Sites on June 1st
05.06.2025 How you can reduce food waste in Dane County
04.15.2025 Compost stations aim to address food waste
01.07.2025 Dane County, Madison planning to expand composting efforts
02.07.2024 Dane County preparing food waste kiosks around town for composting
02.04.2024 Slow and steady wins the waste? Dane County to go big on composting
5.30.2025 Food Scrap Compost FAQs
