Food Scrap Program - High Country Conservation Center

Thanks to 1A/Strong Future, Summit County’s food scrap program is FREE to residents!

Collecting food scraps is an easy, important step in reducing our waste and carbon pollution. Even better, the compost generated from the process creates a valuable amendment to nourish our soil.

Learn more about the impact of collecting your food scraps in our Ask Eartha article.

How to get started:

Enroll for the program and receive a code to access the drop-off food scrap bins at the Frisco, Breckenridge and Silverthorne Recycling Center. View drop-off locations. This code is required to open the bear-proof bins and will change periodically to reduce contamination. You will be notified via email regarding code or program updates. Questions? Call us at 970-668-5703

Enroll Now

Need a compost bucket?

HC3 is giving out free buckets to program participants while supplies last. Just send us an email request at info@highcountryconservation.org and we will arrange a safe physical-distancing pick up at our office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The HC3 office is located at 737 Ten Mile Drive in Frisco. Buckets are limited.

Refer a Friend - Win a Bag

If referred to the program by a friend, note their name on the sign up form and you both will receive a reusable HC3 shopping bag.
July only! Bags are limited.

How The Food Scrap Bins Work

Watch video

Accepted: All Food

This includes: fruit pits and peels, meat, bones, coffee grounds, spoiled food, and baked or processed foods.

Watch the video above to see the correct collecting in action.

Not Accepted

All paper, plastic and ‘compostable’ products are NOT accepted in the food scrap program. Even compostable bags, coffee filters, and tea bags are NOT accepted.

Why? Besides these products being lightweight which blow off the composting piles and cause litter, these materials simply do not breakdown in our arid mountain environment.

Contact Hayden at hayden@highcountryconservation.org if you are interested in establishing a drop-off food scrap location near you.

Download a Food Scrap Label

Buy Local Compost

You can purchase locally made compost from the Summit County Resource Allocation Park at the landfill near Keystone. The compost is created with food waste, biosolids and wood chips from mountain pine beetle kill – one solution to deal with a substantial amount of dead trees. This compost meets all STA Class III certifications.

Nutrient-rich compost starts at $19 a cubic yard. For more info about the High Country Compost product, please click here or contact (970) 468-9263 x0.

Application & Use

Compost Pricing