- Home
- Departments
- Sustainability
- Waste Reduction
- South Portland Food Waste Program
South Portland Food Waste Program
South Portland has a goal to reduce food waste in the trash stream 70% by 2030. Did you know a third of household waste consists of food scraps? Rather than going down the disposal and reducing the efficacy of wastewater systems, or being sent to a landfill, food waste can be converted to compost or be sent to an anaerobic digester to produce sustainable electricity.
Residents may bring their food waste to any one of the five designated drop-off sites located around the City free of charge:
- City Hall (25 Cottage Rd.)
- Golf Course Maintenance Building (221 Westbrook St.)
- Planning & Development Office (496 Ocean St.)
- South Portland High School Upper Parking Lot (Along Highland Ave.)
- Transfer Station (929 Highland Ave.)
You can pick up a free 1-gallon countertop container at the Municipal Services Facility at 929 Highland Ave (Mon-Fri 7:30-3:00pm). Food waste can be placed in clear, clear-ish, or white bags.
There are two options for curbside food waste collection in South Portland:
City Program
The City negotiated a reduced rate for curbside collection ($12/month) with Garbage to Garden using City bins. You can pick up one of these free 12-gallon bins from the City at the Municipal Services Facility at 929 Highland Ave (Mon-Fri 7:30am to 3:00pm). Garbage to Garden will empty your container and haul the contents to ecomaine. These bins can be lined with clear, clear-ish, or white bags. To set up this service, contact Garbage to Garden at 207-332-0277 or info@garbagetogarden.org.
Private Collection
Alternatively, you can subscribe to the regular Garbage to Garden service which provides you with a 5-gallon bucket that they will pick up and replace with a clean bucket each week. Do not place any plastic lining in the Garbage to Garden buckets.
Have questions? Contact Denise at Public Works at 207-767-7635.
As a general rule of thumb, if it grows it goes! For more information, check out ecomaine's detailed list below of items that can and cannot go into your food waste bin.
Yes | No |
|---|---|
| ✔ bread, pasta, rice, grains ✔ coffee grounds & filters ✔ compostable serveware ✔ dairy products ✔ eggshells, seafood shells, bones ✔ fats, oils, greases ✔ fruit & veggie scraps ✔ meat & fish scraps ✔ paper napkins & wooden stirrers ✔ tea bags | 🗙 baby & hand wipes 🗙 cat litter, pet waste 🗙 diapers 🗙 glass 🗙 medicines 🗙 polystyrene/styrofoam 🗙 rubber bands 🗙 yard waste 🗙 plastic, with exceptions* *Food waste may be bagged in a clear or white plastic bag |
- Do you have food waste information available in other languages?
- How can I prevent my bin from getting messy with fruit flies and odors?
- What if my bin is lost or damaged?
- I use an in-sink garbage disposal. Should I discontinue that?
- I already compost in my backyard. Should I discontinue that?
- I already have a private contract with Garbage to Garden. What should I do?
- How often will food waste at the drop-off locations be collected?