Top Photo: Courtesy of John Welch, Dane County

Dane County, Wisconsin is expanding access to residential food scrap composting with the addition of new public drop-off sites, bringing its free Scrap Stops program to 12 locations across Madison, Middleton, Verona, Fitchburg, McFarland, and Mount Horeb. The expanded network, which became available June 1, marks the first anniversary of a program that has quickly gained traction with residents seeking an alternative to landfilling food waste.

Since launching in 2025, the Scrap Stops program has grown to more than 3,200 registered households and diverted approximately 610,000 pounds of food scraps from disposal. According to Dane County, the material collected through the program has avoided an estimated 200 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions while producing compost for local agricultural and landscaping uses.

Residents can register online to receive a combination code that unlocks the collection carts. The locking system is intended to minimize contamination and discourage illegal dumping while helping maintain compost quality. Most locations are available around the clock, making participation more convenient for residents throughout the county.

Accepted materials currently include fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, loose-leaf tea, eggshells, beans, and nuts. The collected organics are transported to Purple Cow Organics in Waunakee (WI), where they are composted into a finished soil amendment.

The expansion also reflects growing collaboration among local governments. Several municipalities sponsor drop-off sites, including the cities of Madison, Middleton, and Verona, the Village of McFarland, and community organizations such as Madison Christian Community and the Mount Horeb Lions Club. Madison has further expanded access by adding food scrap collection at its three Streets Division drop-off sites, giving city residents up to 10 free drop-off options when combined with neighborhood farmers markets and Dane County Scrap Stops.

County officials say the initiative is part of a broader strategy to reduce landfill disposal and greenhouse gas emissions while extending landfill life. Organics represent more than 30% of the material entering the Dane County landfill, making food waste diversion one of the region’s largest opportunities to recover valuable resources.