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Food Scrap Recycling Program for Pittsford Households

Thank you - our Pittsford Residents Food Scrap Recycling pilot program in partnership with Monroe County has been filled with participants.

If you are registered and still need to pick up your bucket, you can do so at Town Hall M-F, 8am - 4pm.

Turn Food Scraps into Renewable Energy!

The Town of Pittsford-Monroe County Food Scraps Recycling Pilot program has reached capacity for participants. See below reference information about the program.

Here’s a hands-on opportunity to help support an energy-sustainable future and send less refuse to the landfill.

The Town of Pittsford is partnering with Monroe County to offer a Food Scraps Recycling pilot program to 500 Pittsford households. Recycling food scraps keeps them out of the landfill. This program will turn food scraps in to renewable energy! Use our online registration form to sign up.

Participating Pittsford residents will separate and collect their household's food scraps and organic kitchen waste and drop it off at the Town's collection site at the Town Dog Park. The food scraps will be picked up by Livingston County-based organics collection company Natural Upcycling as part of the County's pilot program. The scraps will be processed in an anaerobic digester at Noblehurst Farms. Anaerobic organic recycling uses an air-tight chamber that uses bacteria to "digest" (break down) the organic matter, producing natural gas that can be used to generate electricity. The electricity produced will be used at the farm and sold back to the grid.

This pilot food scraps collection program is great for the environment and has no cost to the Town of Pittsford. It is funded by Monroe County, with additional funding provided by a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Municipal Food Scraps Recycling Initiatives grant. The initial plan is to run the program for one year to determine whether to extend or expand it, based on public support and participation.

Pittsford participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis – registration will take place via the Town website beginning August 9, 2023 and the program will begin September 18. Participants will be provided with lidded and labeled buckets to contain food waste and will receive educational materials. See more information below.

Your participation will turn food scraps into renewable energy!

Easy Steps to Participate

Sign up for the program via the Town website when registration begins on August 9 – we’ll provide you with a collection bucket and informational materials. Use our online registration form.
Starting Tuesday, September 5, registered participants can pick up their collection bucket at Town Hall, 11 South Main Street, 2nd floor, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm.
When the program starts on September 18, use your bucket to collect the appropriate food scraps
When it’s convenient for you, bring your bucket to the drop off site located at our Town Dog Park at 34 East Street and drop off your food scraps any time during daylight hours, 7 days a week
Empty your bucket in the collection toter
Scan the QR code on your bucket and answer a few questions to let us know you dropped off materials. It’s part of how the County will be tracking use of the program.

Food Scraps Recycling has Multiple Benefits

Less materials going into the landfill
Uses readily available resources in a sustainable manner
Generates electricity in a renewable process that can be sold back to the grid
Helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Is an easy and tangible way to help create an energy-sustainable future!

Recycling the Appropriate Food Scraps is Key

The success of this program depends upon recycling the appropriate food scraps. Participants will be asked to follow the guidelines below. Please be mindful of following ALL guidelines for acceptable materials. Unacceptable items contaminate the food scraps, and if found on a regular basis will lead to the cancellation of the program. See our guidelines below or check our Food Scraps Recycling Info card.

What's Accepted:

Meat/Fish/Dairy
Fruit/Vegetables
Shells/Bones
Pasta/Rice
Eggshells/Nutshells
Bread/Grains
Leftovers
Coffee Grounds/Filters - NO K CUPS
Tea Bags
Soiled Paper Bags
Kitchen Paper Towels
Paper Napkins
Non-coated Paper Plates
Approved Compostable Container
Plants/Flowers
Jack-o-Lanterns

What's NOT Accepted:

Plastic Bags
Plastic Film/Wrap
Plastic-Coated Food Containers (i.e. Milk Cartons, Ice Cream Containers)
Styrofoam
Cups (Any Type)
Glass
Metal
Grease/Liquids
Pet Waste
Diapers
K Cups
Soil/Rocks
Stumps/Branches
Lumber/Fencing
Yard Waste

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pittsford Food Scraps Recycling program? Who can participate?
Beginning in Fall 2023, the Town of Pittsford and Monroe County will collaborate on a pilot program for the collection of residential food scraps as part of Monroe County's Local Solid Waste Management and Climate Action Plans. 500 pre-registered residents of the Town of Pittsford will be eligible to participate.

What do participants need to do?
Participants need to collect appropriate items from their home (as listed on the supplied Acceptable Items list) in the provided five-gallon bucket and empty these contents into the orange toter at the Town's Dog Park on a regular basis. This site is open daily during daylight hours.

Each time residents drop off, they are asked to scan a QR code (found on the label of their bucket ad at the drop-off site) and answer a few questions. This information will help guide future Monroe County programs.

Where does the material go? What happens to it?
Food scraps will be transported regularly by Natural Upcycling to an anaerobic digester - an airtight chamber that uses bacteria to "digest" (break down) the food scraps, which then give off biogas. The gas is used to generate electricity, which is sold back to the grid.

My bucket is dirty, what can I do?
Empty your bucket on a regular schedule to prevent odors.
Rinse your bucket at home after emptying it.
Line your bucket. Untied BioBag biodegradable bags or layered paper bags are acceptable to use.
Try freezing your food scraps between trips to reduce odors (use empty bread bag or other temporary storage).