Darien Food Scrap Recycling Program

Beautification Commission

In Connecticut alone, roughly 520,000 tons of food are thrown away every year, according to the 2015 Statewide Waste Characterization Study done by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. We can reduce this catastrophic amount of food waste by delineating recyclable food scraps for compose from other municipal solid waste. Composting food scraps instead of incinerating them with other trash also transforms the food into nutrient-rich compost that can be used as fertilizer.

Four years ago, the Town of Darien recognized the need to reduce our food waste and established our own residential food scrap recycling program! Under our program, one of the first of its kind in lower Fairfield County, all food can be recycled! Fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, dairy, bread, pasta, rice, grains, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, and a variety of other food waste can be recycled under our town’s food scrap recycling program.

Residents can collect food scraps in a kitchen container and bring the scraps in a large transportation bin to the Food Scrap Recycling drop-off at the Recycling Center. Any resident with a Recycling Center permit (sticker) can access the drop-off, located next to the Darien Recycling & Refuse Center (126 Ledge Road) and accessible during Recycling Hours of Operation (Monday-Saturday 7am-2:45pm). Recycle your food scraps to reduce both wasted energy and methane created during the incineration process! 

For more information on Darien’s program, visit darienct. gov and search for “food scrap recycling program.”

Click HERE for more details on recycling program in DarientCT website.

Click HERE for more flyer on Recycling Program.

Updates on this program and other sustainable initiatives are posted on social media.

Follow Darien Recycling Center on Facebook and Twitter