What started as a small, subscription-based program for residents to recycle their food scraps is today a free community resource: Summit County’s Food Scrap Program. It’s all thanks to the Strong Future ballot initiative passed by voters in 2018.  

The process is simple: residents drop off food waste at one of 8 convenient locations. It’s all transported to the Summit County Resource Allocation Park, where it’s combined with wood waste from the pine beetle epidemic and transformed into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. 

Fast facts: 

• More than 3,600 households currently participate  
• Residents are composting an average of 32,816 pounds of food waste each month 
• Nearly 1690,000 pounds of food waste has been composted over the life of the program, which is equivalent to keeping 386 cars off the road annually 

When food waste ends up in the landfill, it releases methane, a pollutant 38 times more potent than carbon dioxide. By composting our food waste, we prevent harmful pollution that contributes to climate change. And in the process, we create a valuable resource that nourishes soils and conserves water. Learn more about local compost and encourage a friend to get started. How will you help us reach 2,000,000 pounds?