CHICAGO- “By diverting organic waste materials from landfills and recycling it into compost we protect our environment by reducing the amount of methane gas released in to the air,” says Kathryn Pereira, Local Food Systems and Small Farms Extension Educator serving Cook County. In Chicago alone it’s estimated that more than 450,000 tons of food scraps are sent to landfills annually, rather than being transformed into compost, a valuable resource used to enrich our soils.

To keep kitchen scraps out of landfills and inspire a culture of composting, University of Illinois Extension in Cook County is partnering with various organizations to host Community Compost Collection events in 2022. Prior to the event households can save their food scraps before dropping them off to be composted. In exchange households can take home finished compost to improve their garden soil.

Events are being held on

• April 16 in Back of the Yards in Chicago
• April 16 in Garfield Park in Chicago
• July 16 in Park Forest
• July 23 in Homewood

To help us collect 1 ton of compostable food scraps at each event bring your eggshells, vegetable skins, bones, and stems, but please no products containing oil, dressings, liquid dairy, pet waste, rubber bands, produce stickers, or twist ties.

To take home finished compost BYOB (Bring Your Own Bucket). At the events you can win a grow bag, pick up free plant starts donated by Gotham Greens, learn how to compost, see a worm bin in action, and talk to an Illinois Extension Master Gardener or Compost Ambassador. Finished compost and other free surprise giveaways are first come first served.

For those who cannot attend an event, composting may still be an option through their local trash provider, private service, or by starting a home compost pile.

“Collecting your scraps for composting is a small effort that can make a huge difference. You might be surprised once you begin separating out your food scraps how much less you have to take out your garbage," says Amy DeLorenzo, Extension Educator at the Discovery Partners Institute. "Having community collection events shows how small behavior changes at home can add up to a larger impact. These events generate large levels of waste diversion and contribute to building a culture of composting in Illinois.”

To learn more about composting, read  Composting 101 or Compostaje 101.

To learn more about worm bins, read How to Get Started with Indoor Worm Composting.

To learn more about our composting efforts visit the Cook County Composting Initiative webpage.

ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.

If you have questions about our Community Compost Collection events, please email Sarah Batka or call 217-300-8636