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. In order to recycle these resources Waste & Renewables has launched a new program for food and yard waste to be composted in partnership with Purple Cow Organics. County staff work with businesses, haulers, municipalities, and residents to coordinate collection services and drop off materials at Purple Cow’s facilities. To start diverting your organic waste from the landfill, find out more below!
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 community drop-off locations in Madison, Middleton, and McFarland will launch June 1, 2025 with a Verona area drop off launching August 1, 2025. 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.
The Dane County Landfill's resident food scrap drop-off is OPEN NOW, see location details for site hours and directions.
You can now 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.
If you represent a business or community group within Dane County that is interested in diverting their food scraps from the landfill, please fill out the “Commercial Inquiry Form” linked below. W&R staff will be in touch within two business days after submission, to connect you with program service resources. For immediate questions please contact the program coordinator at: Gobster.Delaney@DaneCounty.Gov.
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.
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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
Businesses or municipalities within Dane County interested in organic materials collection for composting, please contact the program coordinator Delaney Gobster at Gobster.Delaney@danecounty.gov or (608) 206-6952 for more information.
