Food waste collection is now a year-round fixture on Saturdays in Van Ness

One of DPW’s food waste drop-off sites.

The UDC Van Ness farmers market does not operate year-round, but its food waste drop-off stand now does.

The Department of Public Works has bins and staff outside the UDC Student Center on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Another change you might have missed is that the sites accept more than vegetable scraps. “AAnything that’s on your plate, so scrape off your plate,” DC Compost project lead Rachel Manning tells WTOP. That means meat, fish, dairy and grease are okay, too.

It’s a handy service for those of us in high-rises who’d like to help keep food waste out of landfills, but cannot participate in DPW’s free composting pilot program for single-family homeowners in the District. DPW is also beginning to install food waste smart bins that are open 24 hours a day, and can be opened with the MetroKey app or an access code. So far, there is one on the George Washington University campus.