Naperville: Pilot Composting Drop-Off Program for Residents Begins Week of Oct. 7
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~ Naperville, IL - The City of Naperville has announced a new partnership with Groot Industries to expand its composting program. This collaboration will add two residential drop-off locations for compost materials, located at the CNG Station at 1720 Jefferson Ave. and the City-owned parking lot at 91st Street and Wolf's Crossing Road.

Starting on Monday, October 7th, each location will provide 20 carts for Naperville residents to drop off accepted compost materials. The pilot program will run through the week of December 15th and data collected during this time will be used to evaluate its success and determine if it should continue in 2025.

Compost is a valuable resource that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Currently, food scraps and yard waste make up a significant portion of what is thrown away in Naperville, accounting for 20-30% of waste. By composting these materials instead of sending them to landfills, the city can reduce its environmental impact by keeping them out of landfills where they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

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Under the existing refuse and recycling program with Groot Industries, residents with yard waste carts can now also compost food scraps along with regular yard waste in one container. This container can be rented annually from Groot. Accepted materials include standard yard waste as well as compostable food scraps such as fruits, vegetables, pastas, breads, crackers, and cereals. However, meat products and bones are not currently accepted.

The carts will be available to all Naperville residents 24/7 but must not be removed from the designated drop-off sites under any circumstances. Residents are responsible for transporting their own materials to the drop-off sites. Only accepted materials should be placed in the carts and all food waste must be free from packaging and produce stickers. Groot will regularly empty the carts and manage the disposal of the material.

According to Naperville Sustainability Manager Ben Mjolsness, "Food scraps make up a large percentage of what we send to landfills in the U.S. and in Naperville. These materials are packed full of valuable nutrients we should view as a resource that enriches the land. Composting completes the cycle, returning these nutrients to where they started to support future plants and a healthier environment while reducing greenhouse gas pollution. We are thrilled to partner with Groot to expand our composting program to the broader Naperville community!"

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The pilot program will conclude for the season during the week of December 15th and is expected to restart at the same locations in March 2025, depending on usage. Groot will track the volumes of material collected and the City will use this data to determine if and how to continue and/or expand the drop-off program to additional locations in 2025.

Residents can find more information about the pilot program, including a map of pilot composting sites, and composting guidelines on the City's website at www.naperville.il.us/yardwaste. This partnership between Naperville and Groot Industries is an important step towards creating a more sustainable community and reducing our environmental impact.

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