Food Scraps
Food Scrap Drop Off Program
Since 2018, the Village of Irvington has participated in Greenburgh’s food scrap recycling program through an all-volunteer effort.
Where Can I Take My Food Scraps?
The Farmers Market at Main Street School. Please see the Irvington Farmer’s Market page for current schedule details.
Green Policy Task Force volunteers will collect the food scraps in large bins which are then transported along with food scraps from Main Street School to the processing center in Ulster.
Which Food Scraps Are Accepted?
All food scraps, including but not limited to meat, bones, dairy, fish, fruit, vegetables, bread, pasta, cooked food, leftover food, pizza box etc. will be accepted. The collected food scraps will then be transferred to a commercial composting facility to be recycled into nutrient-rich compost.
Read the Food Scrap Recycling flyer (PDF) for more information.
Get Your Compost Storage Kit.
Complete compost storage kits (kitchen counter caddie, roll of plant-based liner bags, and a larger locking bulk transporter) are available for $20 in the Village Administrator’s office in Village Hall, or sometimes at the GPTF table during Farmers Market hours (please bring cash or check).
Learn more about Composting here.
Tips:
Please use only compostable bags (not plastic or “bio-degradable” bags) for your scraps. Additional bags are available at the GPTF’s Farmer’s Market table, Irvington Village Hall, or at Anthony F Veteran Park in Hartsdale (Greenburgh). Cost is $2 for a roll of 25 bags.
Un-bagged food scraps will also be accepted at the drop off.
To reduce odors, we recommend saving meat, fish, and bone leftovers in your freezer until ready to transfer to the Farmers Market.
Please - no plastic bags, rubber bands, twist ties or wires. Only food scraps, paper towel and napkins.
More Drop Off Options:
If you cannot bring your food scraps to the Irvington Farmers Market, here is a list of locations and hours of other drop off sites.
If you are unable to drop off, we may be able to connect you to others in Irvington who can take your food scraps. Email us to discuss possibilities.
Download these guidance documents for collecting and dropping off food scraps for compost:
Hudson Compost Services (HCS)
Offering food scrap pickups for $5/week. To sign up or to learn more, please visit hudsoncompost.com
Our mission is to make composting simple, efficient, and hassle-free. Composting is great for the environment as it reduces your carbon footprint, generates natural fertilizer, and can reduce your household’s trash output by 50%.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at support@hudsoncompost.com.
CompostED
The County recently started construction on CompostED, the Department of Environmental Facility’s new Compost and Education Facility in Valhalla. CompostED will be a small scale compost demonstration facility, offering educational tours and classes on the benefits of composting and for municipalities on incorporating food scraps in municipal yard waste composting activities. The facility is slated to open in Spring 2021.
DEF and the County also recommend that residents compost at home when they are able. The County sells compost bins and rain barrels at wholesale cost. Next sale will be April 24, please contact PLM9@WestchesterGov.com for details.
Study to explore food scrap collection
As seen in the Rivertowns Dispatch, June 21, 2024
With a $25,000 grant from the Hudson River Valley Greenway in tow, seven villages have taken a step towards implementing a curbside food scrap collection program.
As of June 18, the Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings, Irvington, Tarrytown, and Sleepy Hollow boards of trustees had passed resolutions agreeing to fund a study about collecting residents’ food scraps for composting.
The study, conducted by civil engineering firm VHB, is expected to cost $100,000, with each village chipping in equal amounts to pay the $75,000 not covered by the grant. The villages also plan to split the cost of implementing the collection program.
“We figured as small communities it would not be terribly efficient if we each went off in our own direction and did our own thing,” Irvington Village Administrator Larry Schopfer said. “It would make some sense if there’s some ability to cooperate and collaborate on this.”
Irvington is acting as the lead agency for the program by collecting the grant money and overseeing the contract with VHB. Once the study is done, the villages will look into the next steps recommended by the firm. The actual collection would likely not begin before the end of 2024, according to Schopfer.