Orange County's Comprehensive Food Waste Diversion and Composting Strategy

Community Programs & Resources

Orange County Solid Waste assesses an annual Solid Waste Programs Fee on every improved property in Orange County. This fee covers access to residential recycling and waste centers, as well as curbside pickup of recycling.

Three County waste and recycling centers are open to the public for food waste drop-off, in addition to garbage and recyclables. These are located at:

• Eubanks Rd
• Walnut Grove Church Rd
• High Rock Rd

Free Commercial Composting Services

Orange County provides free composting services to eligible restaurants, schools, and daycares. The county contracts with Brooks Contractor, a food waste collector and compost producer based in Goldston, North Carolina.

Eligible businesses and schools can join the program and receive regular, cost-free curbside collection of organic waste. This program is mutually beneficial, as diverting food waste from the trash stream can decrease the County's trash hauling fees. Participating businesses receive a "Food Waste Diversion Star" window decal to represent their commitment to helping the local environment and community.

As of September 2025, 64 businesses—including restaurants, schools, and other food-handling establishments—were participating in the program. These efforts have diverted over 4 million pounds of food waste. Orange County Solid Waste Management maintains a data dashboard on its website that provides a current snapshot of food waste diversion, including how much compost has been created.

For a list of Food Waste Diversion Star participants, visit the Solid Waste Management website at https://orangecountync.gov/3668/Commercial-Food-Waste-Program.

Farmers' Market Food Waste Drop-Offs

Three Orange County Farmers' Markets also offer regular compost collection during their Saturday events:

• Eno River Farmers’ Market in Hillsborough
• Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market
• Carrboro Farmers’ Market

This service was made possible, in part, through an Orange County Community Climate Action Grant. Additionally, other drop-off sites for 24/7 food waste collection are in development across the County for the near future. Their locations will be posted on the Orange County Solid Waste Management website.

Grants & Funding

Orange County Community Climate Action Grant Program

This program is dedicated to accelerating the Orange County Climate Action Plan and encouraging community-led climate change mitigation actions. Public and nonprofit entities, as well as small businesses with a maximum annual gross revenue of $3 million, are eligible to apply.

The grant supports projects that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a positive community impact. This includes projects focused on food waste diversion and increasing composting capacity. Funding for the grant program is subject to change based on the annual County budget.

Municipal Grant Programs

Some municipalities in Orange County also offer grants and programs to help residents access food waste diversion resources. For example, the Town of Carrboro administers the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program to “benefit low-income households and residents of color by bringing neighbors together to pursue projects which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create natural areas that are more resilient to the impacts of climate change, ultimately benefiting the entire community.”

Up to $2,500 is available for neighborhood teams seeking to implement sustainable projects. See the Fairoaks Community Composting Case Study for an example of how a Carrboro community successfully applied for a grant to launch a community-driven food waste diversion program.

Community Education

Composting & Recycling Classes

Orange County Solid Waste Management provides quarterly "how-to" classes for the public on recycling and composting. For a list of classes, visit the Solid Waste Management website at https://www.orangecountync.gov/3454/Solid-Waste-Management.

Compost Bin Sales

Orange County Solid Waste Management also sells compost bins to the public. As of 2025, two options are available:

• A kitchen countertop food waste bin
• A larger Earth Machine Backyard Composter

Compost bin sales are by appointment only, with a limited number of appointments available each Wednesday. To schedule, please call (919) 968-2788 or email recycling@orangecountync.gov. The backyard composter comes in two pieces and will fit in any size car. For pricing, visit the Solid Waste Management website at https://orangecountync.gov/2690/Compost-Bins-For-Sale.

Workshops & Resources

The Orange County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension and its Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program provide regular workshops on composting and related topics, such as using compost in gardens and landscapes. To view a list of available classes, visit orange.ces.ncsu.edu.

Engaging Our Youth

A waste audit conducted by Orange County Solid Waste Management in 2024 found that 27% of the waste in the Orange County landfill was food waste that could have been diverted.

School Composting Pilot Program

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Solid Waste Management has been working to re-engage with county school systems on food waste diversion. In 2024, a pilot program was launched at McDougle Elementary and Middle Schools in Chapel Hill. The program provides compost bins in the school kitchens and educates students on what and how to divert food waste. The program has since expanded to New Hope Elementary. The bins are serviced by Compost Now, a subcontractor of Brooks Contractor, and the project is ongoing with the goal of expanding to more schools in the future.

School Food Share Table Pilot Program

Recognizing that some food waste could also address hunger, Orange County Cooperative Extension’s Food Security Program is partnering with Solid Waste Management and Sustainability Programs to introduce a new School Food Share Table Pilot Program. This program officially launched during the 2025-2026 school year at McDougle Elementary and Middle Schools, New Hope Elementary, Grady A Brown Elementary, and A.L. Stanback Middle Schools.

The goals for this program include:

• Establishing a food recovery program that re-serves uneaten food by making it available at a centralized location or distributing it in other ways to reduce waste and ensure no child goes hungry during the school day.
• Increasing student involvement in addressing food insecurity.
• Reducing the amount of healthy, nutritious food that is thrown away at the end of the lunch period.
• Potentially saving schools money that would typically be spent on snacks.

The County will provide the following to each school:

• Orange County Solid Waste: Compost carts and educational materials on composting.
• Orange County Cooperative Extension’s Food Security Program: A rolling collection cart with bins, a small refrigerated unit with a clear door, a refrigerator thermometer, a rolling pantry cart, baskets for dry foods, and signage.
• Orange County Sustainability Program: Signage to assist students and staff with the food recovery share program steps and guidelines.

The County team will also assist each school in donating excess food to a local food pantry to further minimize waste. The program plans to pilot in these schools and expand county-wide in the years ahead.

CASE STUDY: McDOUGLE SCHOOLS FOOD WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM

McDougle Elementary joined Orange County Solid Waste’s Food Waste Diversion Program in December 2024, along with the adjoining McDougle Middle School. The partnership was formed through communication and education from OCSW staff, buy-in from the administration, action from an enthusiastic PTA member, and support from school staff.

The kitchen and cafeteria food waste is contained in large rolling carts that are collected on a weekly basis and swapped out with clean ones. The food waste is taken to Brooks Contractor, where it is made into compost.

When landfilled food waste breaks down, it releases methane and carbon dioxide, two potent greenhouses gases that contribute to climate change. By diverting their food waste from landfills, McDougle Elementary is helping the environment, creating quality compost, and showcasing the importance of food waste diversion and composting.

Here are their impacts from Dec. 2024 – Dec. 2025:

• 13,517 pounds of food waste diverted
• 4,461 pounds of compost created
• 35,145 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided
  • Equivalent to 39,459 miles driven
  • Equivalent to 3.4 cars off the road per year
• 1,255 pounds of methane avoided

Internal Government Policies

Waste Wise Events

Orange County has a responsibility to lead by example in reducing, reusing, and recycling. The County Manager requires all events serving food to be conducted in a Waste Wise manner. This policy is designed to ensure each meeting or event produces as little waste as possible. County employees can find the mandatory Waste Wise Policy Form and helpful resources on the internal intranet.

Government Building Composting

The availability of composting carts within Orange County Government buildings is growing. As of July 2025, carts were placed at:

• The Bonnie B. Davis Environment & Agricultural Center
• The Whitted Human Services Center
• Passmore Center
• Seymour Center
• Southern Human Services Center
• Orange County Detention Center

These bins are available to employees and those who reserve space in these county facilities. The program continues to expand, and new educational resources are being produced to ensure users understand the policies and procedures for using the equipment.

Under the direction of the Orange County Sustainability Program, staff launched the county government Green Team in January 2026 to educate staff and support composting and other sustainability initiatives.

Supporting Orange County Climate Action Goals

On November 2, 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners adopted the County’s first Climate Action Plan. Waste diversion and composting are specifically mentioned throughout the document and are being implemented and measured.

Specific goals within the plan include:

• RC1.6 - Examine the implementation of an edible food recovery program, potentially in partnership with local restaurants and food pantries.
  • RC1.6.1 - Work with Cooperative Extension and other partners to expand funding to build out the food recovery program.
• RC1.5 - Evaluate the potential of a curbside composting program, backed by a County-led education campaign on the importance and benefits of composting.
  • RC1.5.1 - Complete a feasibility study for a curbside composting program by 2028 as part of the County’s updated waste hauler agreement.
  • RC1.5.2 - Work with the Solid Waste Services Department to launch an educational campaign on composting benefits, in accordance with the 2023-2045 Solid Waste Master Plan.

Departments, including the Orange County Sustainability Program, Solid Waste Management, Asset Management Services, Cooperative Extension, are working collaboratively to accomplish these goals.

View the Orange County Climate Action Plan Dashboard at https://www.orangecountync.gov/3096/Climate-Action-Plan to track progress.

CASE STUDY: FAIROAKS COMPOSTING

From Pumpkins to Progress: How a Carrboro Neighborhood Is Leading the Way

In the heart of Carrboro, a simple idea born from a shared frustration has blossomed into a powerful community movement. For years, Carrie Donley, a resident of the Fairoaks neighborhood, watched countless pumpkins and other food scraps get tossed into the trash each fall. This waste, she knew, was a missed opportunity—and a burden on our planet.

Driven by a desire to create a greener, more connected community, Donley applied for a Carrboro Green Neighborhoods Grant. The grant provided the seed money, and with it, Fairoaks Composting was born in 2023. Three large food waste collection bins are located in a common area in the community, and are serviced by the local business Compost Now. This partnership allows residents to compost a wide variety of items that a typical backyard bin can't handle, including meat, dairy, and even pizza boxes. This ease of use has been a major factor in the program's success.

The results speak for themselves. In two years, the Fairoaks community has diverted an incredible 20 tons of food waste from the landfill, preventing about two tons of methane—a potent greenhouse gas—from entering the atmosphere. This is the equivalent of avoiding about 50 tons of carbon dixoide emissions.

Beyond the environmental benefits, the project has woven a tighter social fabric in Fairoaks. Roughly half of the neighborhood's 160 households now participate, and 10 neighbors have stepped up to join a leadership team. This shared goal has fostered a sense of community and belonging, proving that sustainability can be a catalyst for connection.

What started as a single-neighborhood effort has inspired a larger movement. Donley and the Fairoaks team have shared their model with other communities, and the initiative has expanded to seven neighborhoods. Now, Donley is aiming to take the project county-wide. The initiative recently received an Orange County Climate Action Grant on behalf of 12 neighborhoods and a local church in the amount of $21,300, aiming to make community composting as common as curbside recycling. And she’s had to turn neighborhoods away for lack of funding; a testament to the strong demand for accessible composting solutions.

"Our participants note that they produce less garbage and their garbage no longer smells. They like the fact that they're making compost and reducing greenhouse gas emissions all in one step," Donley says. “Doing this as a community shows amplified impact and helps show how neighborhood change in behavior can make a difference.”

The Fairoaks story is more than just a composting program. It’s a powerful example of how local initiative can drive significant change. It’s a story about neighbors coming together to solve a problem and, in the process, building a stronger, more resilient community for everyone.