About the Food Scrap Drop-Off Program

The Community Food Scrap Drop-off Program was originally funded by the USDA/NIFA Grant awarded to the Association of Oklahoma Governments (ACOG). Fertile Ground Cooperative is the sub-awardee of this grant. It was a two-year pilot program that was free to the residents of Central Oklahoma during the grant period. 

We were unsuccessful in obtaining the grant again, and due to labor and truck costs, it’s become necessary to return to our original fee of $10 per month for unlimited drop-off service.

Why is food not trash?

• Wasted food is the largest single component of everyday garbage. Composting food scraps and yard trimmings diverts waste from polluting landfills and incinerators.

• Compost enhances the soil by improving soil when applied to it. It adds organic matter, structure, fertility, microbes, water storage, and disease resistance.

• Landfills and incinerators emit potent greenhouse gases. Compost added to soils helps sequester carbon. It also offsets fossil-fuel-intensive fertilizers. Healthy soils are an important carbon sink.

• Community composting encourages people to engage with each other. They also learn how their food is grown. Commercial compost sites sustain 4-8 times more jobs per ton than landfills and incinerators.