May 11, 2025 UPDATE

Applications are now closed for a free Easy Backyard Compost Bin. If you fill out the form, you will be put on our wait list for another round of distributions in the Fall, while supplies last (the USDA grant partnering with the City of New Orleans, Sprout NOLA, Compost NOW, Schmelly’s Dirt Farm and REALCYCLE was terminated by the federal government just after Earth Day).

Compost NOW promotes, supports and provides resources to several free residential food waste collection programs throughout New Orleans. We partner with several local farms and gardens who accept frozen food scraps on site, what we call “direct-to-farm” or “direct-to-garden” drop offs. We also promote two “hosted” collections, at Audubon Park near the golf course pro shop and with REALCYCLE at City Park’s Crescent City Farmer’s Market near the City Putt parking lot.

The Food Scrap Drop-Off map is back in action! Check out the Food Scrap Collection Page to see it!

Our partners all run and are responsible for their own collections. Ideally, they notify us when they need to cancel a date / or close for an extended period of time so that we can update our website, Facebook and Instagram. Many of our sites do shut down during the hot summer months, and over various holiday periods. See current schedule* for Sugar Roots Farm, Recirculating Farms, Galvez Garden, Bulbancha Blooms Community Garden (new), Speak Easy Farm (closed until further notice), REALCYCLE at City Park, and Earth Lab in the Marigny (closed until further notice). We also promote collections at Barcelo Gardens, Sprout NOLA, Sankofa Community Garden (when they are open) as was as Audubon Park, as mentioned. Plus, Schmelly’s Dirt Farm is open daily until sunset. If you are interested in having your drop off site added, please send us an email.

Please DO NOT drop off your food scraps outside program hours or if the bins are not there.

Leaving food scraps when/where they are not supposed to be can lead to ants and rodents, and makes more work for our amazing partners!  

Sankofa Community Garden

They are no longer able to offer specific open hours for food waste drop offs — but if you happen to see them in the garden, they are happy to have you drop off your scraps, just go inside to ask/arrange. Obviously, this works best for those who live nearby.

Audubon Park Collection on a new day, in a (slightly) new location:

The Audubon Park Collection now takes place on Thursdays (moved from Wednesday) from 4-5:30pm near the Audubon Golf Course Pro Shop. Pin here. Please visit their Community Engagement Page for more details — they accept shellfish shells and e-waste such as cell phones, smartphones, ipads, ipods, tablets, apple watches, and headphones.

Expanded Hours & Collections at Galvez Garden (2317 N Galvez):

Galvez Garden has increased their food waste drop off hours to 10am-2pm every Sunday AND they will also be collecting aluminum cans in blue bins as part of their new partnership with NOLA Cans 4 Food (who use the funds from recycling those cans to buy ingredients for meals which get distributed to New Orleans Community Fridges and unhoused people in the city).

REALCYCLE is now ONLY collecting food scraps and aluminum (no cardboard, no glass) at the Crescent City Farmer's Market on Sundays (8am-noon).  Please note, the Crescent City Farmer’s Market has moved to the parking lot by City Park Putt Putt.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we continue to transition from an organization that organizes and hosts food waste collections, to one which primarily supports and promotes the efforts of others.

*Check Compost NOW’s Facebook page or our Instagram for regular posts regarding updates and drop-off locations. We will try to mention other drop off sites that we are aware of happening throughout the city, as we believe it is important to offer decentralized locations in order to reduce “food waste miles.”