Ask Lookout: What happens to food scraps placed in yard debris bins?

This story was updated to reflect that the compost is free at events and sold at local retailers, and includes a new date for the Love Food Not Waste Compost availability at Center for Rural Livelihoods Community Educational Garden. The event will be held May 3.

Fruits and vegetables along with meat, bones, fish, dairy, baked goods, and even scraps like fried chicken and pizza don’t have to be thrown in the trash. They can go into the yard debris bin. This gives residents of Eugene, Springfield, and Veneta a sustainable way of dealing with food scraps.

When your yard debris bin is picked up, the food scraps and the yard debris are taken to Rexius, which uses a thermophylic (high heat) composting system to rapidly break down organic matter and kill pathogens and weed seeds. 

You wouldn’t normally put things like pizza and chicken into a home compost bin because backyard compost systems typically don’t get hot enough to break these materials down, but the Rexius system can handle these items because of the high heat. The finished compost is bagged as Love Food Not Waste Compost that is available for free at events and sold local retailers and the Rexius Retail Facility, at 150 Highway 99 in bags and in bulk. 

Why is this program available only to residents of Eugene, Springfield, and Veneta? 

“This decision rests primarily with local waste haulers and their capacity to manage the logistics of collecting food waste for commercial composting,” said Daniel Hiestand, Lane County waste reduction outreach coordinator for the Lane County Public Works Waste Management Division. “It’s up to the cities and the waste haulers to decide on participation.”

House Bill 3018, currently under consideration, would mandate schools, hospitals, large restaurants, food processors, and other entities to divert scraps to compost, which could result in a big reduction of food waste in Lane County.

Rexius is certified by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to process commercial food waste into compost, and the compost is regularly tested to ensure it is safe for planting. There is slightly higher nitrogen in food waste compost compared with yard debris compost.

If you’re not sure if you have yard debris service, contact your trash hauler. A yard debris and food waste bin may be included in the monthly service you already have. 

Businesses can participate in the compost program, too. 

The city of Eugene’s Love Food Not Waste program connects local waste haulers Lane Apex, Royal Refuse, and Sanipac with grocers, restaurants, and commercial food handling facilities to collect food waste so it is not sent to the landfill. Businesses interested in participating can contact their garbage hauler to sign up. The business will be provided with food waste bins and an external waste collection container, and the hauler will arrange a pickup schedule that meets the business’ needs. 

“Keeping food waste out of the landfill is one of the most significant individual actions we can take to limit greenhouse gas emissions in our collective efforts to address the climate crisis,” Hiestand said. “For folks in Eugene, Springfield, and Veneta with curbside yard waste, we encourage you to take advantage of this program!”

Get your free Love Food Not Waste Compost at the following events:

April 19, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
Rexius, 150 Highway 99

April 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
Center for Rural Livelihoods, 80574 Hazelton Road, Cottage Grove

May 3, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
Center for Rural Livelihoods Community Educational Garden, 1440 Birch Ave., Cottage Grove
This event will have a limited supply of 50-pound bags.