Waste not, want not: Palatine opens food scrap drop-off site

You won’t find too many ribbon-cutting ceremonies where people bring their garbage.

But there was a good reason Sunday in Palatine — the village unveiled a community food scrap drop-off site and special materials recycling center at its public works facility, 148 W. Illinois Ave.

The free, 24/7 site features two bright green 65-gallon bins provided by WasteNot Compost. In addition to the bins for food scrap, there is a nearby container where people can drop off plastic bags and holiday lights.

Residents can drop off all food scraps, including meat, dairy, bones, bread and baked goods. They should keep out glass, plastic and metal. Loose items are preferred.

Items also can be in paper bags or CMA (Compost Manufacturing Alliance)- approved liners, but not regular plastic bags.

The village’s recently extended Groot garbage contract will offer curbside service for food scrap composting at single-family homes beginning in 2027, but not multifamily housing, Village Manager Reid Ottesen said.

“So we found this company (WasteNot) that's done some other suburbs and reached out to them,” he said.

WasteNot CEO and founder Liam Donnelly said he started the company at age 15 after growing up composting in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood.

The company’s other municipal partners include Skokie, Wilmette and Evanston.

During Sunday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mayor Jim Schwantz recognized Palatine Cool Cities, an environmental advocacy group, for its leadership in advancing the food scrap initiative. He presented them with a proclamation in honor of International Compost Awareness Week.

“Food waste, when it goes to the landfill, is harmful because of methane emissions,” said Rita Soni Patel, one of the lead volunteers with Palatine Cool Cities. “But it's also a lost resource. When it’s done right and used right, compost reduces soil erosion. It helps retain water. It helps us reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers.”