Fork 'em Over Curbside
Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management is piloting a 12-month curbside pickup program for residents interested in conveniently recycling food scraps into compost. Participation in Fork 'em Over Curbside will provide vital findings on how our community can advance food scraps recycling in Tompkins County.
Please Note:
- Pilot areas include parts of but not all of the City of Ithaca, and not all homes are eligible.
- The pilot areas consist of parts of the Northside and Southside neighborhoods.
- The pilot is limited to households with 1-3 units.
- Eligibility will be confirmed following registration.
See the pilot areas below to determine if your household is in the vicinity of the pilot.
Green Day: Addresses that are South and East of Meadow Street, West of and including Lake Ave, and North of and including the north side of Cascadilla street. Addresses that are South of W Green Street, West of S Cayuga Street, North of W Clinton Street, and East of S Meadow St.
Blue Day: Addresses that are South of W Clinton St, West of S Cayuga Street and W Spencer Street, North of Elmira Rd, and East of S Meadow Street.
Sign up for our pilot program and be a part of sustainable change in Tompkins County. It's completely free to participate and containers are provided. Sign up to collect food scraps and set them out on the weekly pickup day.
Why Join?
There are lots of reasons to participate. Here are a few benefits of participation:
- Easy and convenient curbside collection for food scraps
- Save money by reducing trash tag purchases
- Keep food waste out of landfills
- Turn scraps into valuable compost
- Feel good about making a difference!
Not eligible?
There are still great ways you can take part in our food scraps recycling efforts:
- Visit a Food Scraps Recycling Drop Spot: Convenient drop spots are located throughout Tompkins County. These sites make it easy to divert food scraps from your trash, save money on trash tags, and reduce landfilled food waste. Learn more and find your nearest drop spot.
- Share Your Interest: If you live in a multifamily residence with 4 or more units, consider contacting your property manager about food scraps recycling opportunities for residents.
- Show Your Support: Fork ‘em Over: Curbside is a one-year pilot that will help local stakeholders understand the potential for expanding food scraps recycling. Your voice matters—letting representatives know you support curbside service helps shape future programs.
- Stay Connected with Us: Sign up for the 4R Times Newsletter to stay up to date on Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management news and find out other ways to practice the 4R’s.
✅ Weekly Collection Schedule
There are two collection zones. The zone determines the collection day (Wednesday or Thursday).
There are a few ways for participants to find their zone:
- The welcome letter in the toolkit is either green or blue.
- Zones have been announced via email.
- Once registration is completed, participant addresses are added to ReCollect recycling reminders.
Green Day Schedule(PDF, 4MB)
Blue Day Schedule(PDF, 4MB)
✅ Your Toolkit
All accepted Fork 'em Over: Curbside participants receive a free toolkit for weekly collection on a rolling basis.
Toolkits include:
- A kitchen caddy for collecting scraps
- A green curbside cart
- Helpful materials like a decal and quick-start guide
These tools are designed to make food scraps recycling clean and convenient.
Toolkits are delivered weekly after participants have been accepted into the pilot.
✅ How It Works
1. Collect Food Scraps in Your Kitchen Caddy
Use the kitchen caddy to collect food scraps and food-soiled paper at home. Use a BPI-certified compostable liner or newspaper to keep your caddy clean.
2. Empty your Kitchen Caddy into your Curb Cart
Empty the kitchen caddy into your green curbside cart when full or every 2-3 days. Store the curb cart outside, in a garage, or similar location with the lid locked. Emptying the caddy often and washing it like one would their dishes reduces odors.
3. Set out your Curb Cart on Collection Day
Roll the cart to the curb weekly on collection day. It will be collected with a specialized truck, and the contents will be sent to Cayuga Compost for processing into a valuable soil amendment. Do not place a kitchen caddy at the curb.
4. Keep in Contact
Stay in touch with us by reading our email newsletters and reaching out through the Contact Us form.
✅Please make sure to:
- Place the curbside cart at the curb the night before scheduled collection. Make sure it's easy for the driver to see and leave at least two feet of space between the cart and any other bins or cans.
- Use only BPI-certified compostable liners for collection. Using a liner is optional. No plastic bags.
- Keep yard waste out of green curbside carts.
- Contact Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management with questions via our contact form or call 607-273-6632.
✅What Can Be Recycled?
Check out this handy guide for acceptable food scraps.
What’s Accepted
- Bread & Grains
- Beans & Nuts
- Compostable Bags
- Eggs & Dairy
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Meat, Fish, & Bones
- Paper Towels/Napkins
- Coffee Grounds/Paper Filters & Tea Bags
- Compostable Bin Liners (BPI-certified, newspaper, or paper bags)
What’s Not Accepted
- Compostable Serviceware
- Glass
- Metal
- Pet Waste
- Plastic
- Utensils
- Yard Waste –Yard waste can be dropped off separately at the Public Drop-off of the RSWC.
Tips to Keep Containers Clean
Participants may choose to use compostable liners with their food scraps. The program accepts BPI-certified compostable liners, which are available in the trash bag aisle of several local and big box stores and online.
However, many participants choose to save money and reduce consumption by using other materials like newspaper and paper towels or simply going liner-less. Here are some easy-to-implement tips to keep the food scraps bin clean and odor-free:
- Line the kitchen caddy with newspaper or paper towels. A drop of dish soap on bottom before paper makes clean-up easier. The paper is compostable with food scraps.
- Store food scraps in the freezer until drop spot day.
- Sprinkle baking soda on top of food scraps.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I collect food scraps from my kitchen?
Use your kitchen caddy to collect food scraps from your home. If needed, line your bin with newspaper or a paper towel, or a BPI-certified compostable liner. Empty caddy into your green cart. Do not use plastic bags for collection.
What can go in the curbside cart?
What’s Accepted
- Bread & Grains
- Beans & Nuts
- Compostable Bags
- Eggs & Dairy
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Meat, Fish, & Bones
- Paper Towels/Napkins
- Coffee Grounds/Paper Filters & Tea Bags
- Compostable Bin Liners (BPI-certified, newspaper, or paper bags)
What’s Not Accepted
- Compostable Serviceware
- Glass
- Metal
- Pet Waste
- Plastic
- Utensils
- Yard Waste –Yard waste can be dropped off separately at the Public Drop-off of the RSWC.
Do I need to use compostable bags in my kitchen caddy?
Participants may choose to use BPI-certified compostable liners with their food scraps, which are available in the trash bag aisle of several local and big box stores and online. However, many participants choose to save money and reduce consumption by using other materials like newspaper and paper towels or simply going liner-less. See the "Tips to Keep Your Bin Clean" section above for more ideas.
Will my curb cart smell and attract animals?
No more than your regular trash. Placing your curb cart at the curb each week, whether it’s full or not, will help keep odors to a minimum and will decrease materials that may attract wildlife.
What do I do if my curb cart isn’t collected on my designated collection day?
Please first verify that you had your cart set out by the required time and followed our placement guidelines. Then, you may contact Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management via our online form or by calling (607) 273-6632 if your curb cart has not been collected by 3:30pm on your collection day. It is important that you notify us as soon as possible.
Where do my food scraps go?
Food scraps will be taken to Cayuga Compost in Trumansburg, where they will be mixed with other organic materials to create compost.
Can I still use my home composting system?
Absolutely! Home composting produces a valuable soil amendment for home gardens. Curbside food scraps recycling provides residents the opportunity to compost more materials, including meat, bones, and dairy.
Questions?