The City of Rockville offers residents food scraps drop-off sites to make composting easy, keep valuable materials out of landfills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The sites are accessible 24/7, and the service is free of charge. Food scraps are picked up weekly by a commercial contractor and delivered to the Prince George’s County Organics Composting Facility.
How to Use the Food Scraps Drop-Off
Review List
Review the list of accepted and non-accepted items below. If you are in doubt, throw it out! Read the Frequently Asked Questions for more tips.
Place Scraps in Container
Place food scraps in a container — empty coffee cans with sealing lids work well. Be sure to remove any plastic or other trash.
Empty Your Container
Bring your full container and empty it into the designated bins at one of the food scraps drop-off sites listed below.
Rinse and Repeat!
Rinse your container and repeat!
Accepted Items
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Coffee grounds, tea leaves, and tea bags.
- Dry goods, such as bread, pasta, nuts, rice, and grains.
- Dairy products.
- Eggs and eggshells.
- Cooked meat, fish, and poultry, and their bones.
- Food-soiled paper products, such as napkins, paper towels, tea bags, coffee filters, and pizza boxes.
- Paper yard trim bags, paper lunch bags, and paper grocery bags.
- BPI-certified compostable paper and plastic cups, plates, bowls, and utensils.
- Bags labeled as either “home compostable” or “commercially/industrially compostable.”
- House plant trimmings and flowers.
- Hair clippings.
Non-Accepted Items
- No plastic or Styrofoam products of any kind.
- No traditional, non-compostable plastic bags, wrappers, or film.
- No bags labeled only as plant-based or biodegradable.
- No grease, fats, or oils.
- No yard or garden waste, such as leaves and branches. Place with your regular yard waste.
- No pet waste or cat litter.
- No diapers, sanitary products, or baby wipes.
- No oyster or clam shells.
- No candles, synthetic corks, or gum.
- No ash from wood or charcoal.
- No dental floss, Q-tips, or dryer lint sheets.
- No dead animals. Report a dead animal.
- No commercial food scraps. Businesses should contact a local waste hauler who provides this service.
Food Scraps Drop-Off Sites
Maintenance Facility
14625 Rothgeb Drive
Follow signs to take the slight right into the maintenance facility, then make the first left into the upper
parking lot. The drop-off location is toward the end of the lot on the right.
Rockville Senior Center
1150 Carnation Drive
Follow signs to the back parking lot. The drop-off is located in the back-left corner of the lot.
Twinbrook Community Recreation Center
12920 Twinbrook Parkway
The drop-off is in the first space of the upper parking lot, across from the tennis courts and playground.
Potomac Woods Park
1380 Stratton Drive
Follow Stratton Drive east and make a slight right into the park entrance. The drop-off is located in the first parking space on the left.
contact
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Contact
Public Works Department
Environmental Management Division
240-314-8872
foodscraps@rockvillemd.gov