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Makenzie Read
Waste and Resources Manager
[email protected]
865-215-4311



THE KNOXVILLE COMPOST PROJECT

BattleField Farms, City Possum Farm, and the City of Knoxville's Waste & Resources Management office with support from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation launched the Knoxville Compost Pilot Project in February 2022. Residents and nearby restaurants can now drop off their food scraps to be composted and repurposed into soil.
Compost sponsor logos
HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Before dropping off your food scraps, please review the Yes/No list below and then take the quiz to test your knowledge! Upon successfully completing the quiz, you will receive a code. You will need this code to unlock the combination padlocks on the food scraps bins; please save it for future reference.

DROP-OFF LOCATION:
The Old City Recycling Drop-Off Center
227 Willow Ave, underneath the interstate
Attended daily from 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

FOOD SCRAPS DROP-OFF

YES

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Coffee Grounds
• Paper Coffee Filters
• Eggshells
• Nut Shells
 
Located at the
Old City Recycling Center:
227 Willow Ave.
 
Compost bucket
NO

• Cooked Food
• Oils, Fats, Grease
• Meat, Seafood, Bones
• Dairy (Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, Mayo, etc.)
• Bread, Rice, Grains
• Leaves or Brush
• "Compostable" Bags, Cups, Bowls, Utensils, Bioplastics, etc.
• Anything Plastic (Produce Stickers, Bags, Styrofoam, etc.)
• Animal Waste / Litter
• Charcoal
• Tea Bags



Click here to take compost quiz
TIPS FOR COLLECTING YOUR FOOD SCRAPS

You can collect your food scraps in any lidded container placed on your kitchen countertop or underneath your sink. If you prefer to make less frequent trips to the drop-off site, store your scraps in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent odors.

If you are producing a lot of food waste, an inexpensive 5-gallon bucket with a sealing lid placed on a porch, in a garage, or near your outdoor trash will keep pests out and smells in.

A printed copy of the Yes/No list on your fridge will help you and your family remember which food scraps are accepted.

Setting a weekly alert on your phone can help remind you to take your food scraps to the drop-off before they're too fragrant. 

 
ADDITIONAL KNOXVILLE AREA RESOURCES AND OTHER COMPOST AUTHORITIES

UT Knox County Extension Office 

UT Gardens - Resources & Occasional Composting Classes 

UT Master Gardeners - Organic Gardening & Compost 

Keep Knoxville Beautiful - Composting: Heaps of Fun 

Ijams - Living Clean & Green Compost Diagram 

Borderland Tees' Butterfly Garden 

Beardsley Farm & CSA 

Living Earth - Compost & Soils 

Hines Fine Soils - Compost & Soils 

ShareWaste - Compost Connection Service