The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) selected the City of Alexandria as one of the 2023 Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreement recipients. With USDA's support, the City will soon launch a pilot curbside food waste composting program for selected residents receiving City trash and recycling services. This program will be separate from yard waste collections, and participants will be able to compost food waste at the curb every week.  

The curbside composting pilot program will be in addition to the free farmers' market composting services that the City provides to all residents, expanding ways residents can divert waste from trash and creating compost soil, a nutrient-rich soil amendment.  

Registration for the pilot program is expected to open to residents late February, with collections expected to start this Spring. As part of this program, the City will also be conducting a Food Waste Reduction outreach campaign to provide residents with everyday tips to reduce food waste impact at home. More information will be updated on this page soon.

When food is wasted, it also wastes the resources. We’re not just creating a problem, we’re also missing an opportunity to save businesses and residents money: Waste Less and Spend Less – You can spend less and waste less by buying only the food you will use. Preventing wasted food can also reduce energy and labor costs associated with throwing away good food.