Project Oscar
Project Oscar is Boston’s 24-hour community food waste program.
Bin Code: 2-1-4
Starting November 15, 2024 we will accept meat, bones, dairy and fish. For a complete list of accepted items, check out the "What you can compost" section below.
Project Oscar community food waste bins give residents a place to drop off their food scraps so that they can be composted. You can find more information below about where the compost bins are located and what belongs in them.
The City of Boston partners with Black Earth Compost, who collects the food waste from these Project Oscar bins. Black Earth brings the food scraps from the bins back to their composting sites in Manchester, Groton, and Framingham, MA. The food waste is converted into a nutrient-rich compost, which is then sold in bags to garden centers around New England, as well as in bulk to farmers and gardeners! Black Earth's mission is to keep food scraps in the food chain.
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Have questions? Contact:
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOCKED BINS
In November 2024, all Project Oscar bins will be replaced with newer, more durable, green models. The bins will also be locked.
The lock combo is: 2-1-4
Please make sure to close the lid and lock the bin after you finish dropping off your food scraps. This helps prevent contamination and ensures that your food scraps are able to be composted. Thank you!
ALL food waste, including meat, bones, dairy, and fish will be accepted in the new bins.
List of locations
As of Nov. 15 all bins will be green and locked.
Brighton, at Boston Green Academy, off of Cambridge Street in school parking lot.
Brighton, at Commonwealth Ave and Chiswick Road
Charlestown, on Austin Street, in the parking lot of the 99 Restaurant.
Chinatown, at Tai Tung Village, 240 Hudson Street
City Hall Plaza, at 1 City Hall Square.
Dorchester, at the Codman Square library, 690 Washington Street.
Dorchester, at the Hero Hope Garden, 424 Geneva Ave
East Boston, at Memorial Stadium Park, adjacent to the playground on Thompson Drive
Hyde Park, at 1234 Hyde Park Ave.
Jamaica Plain, in the parking lot of the Curtis Hall Community Center at 20 South Street.
Jamaica Plain, in a municipal parking Lot at 490 Centre Street.
Mission Hill, at the end of driveway at Tobin Community Center, 1481 Tremont Street.
North End, in the Nazzaro Center parking lot on North Bennet Street.
Roslindale, 4210 Washington Street
Roxbury, Municipal Lot 33, 3042 Washington Street
Roxbury, at Municipal Lot #30, 353 Dudley Street
South Boston, at 450 West Broadway Street.
South End, at the South End Branch Library, 685 Tremont Street
more locations!
What you can compost with Project Oscar
What you can compost- Fruit and vegetable scraps, peelings, pits, and seeds
- Eggshells and nutshells
- Rice, pasta, cereal
- Bread, pastries, cookies
- Meat, fish, bones
- Dairy products
- Cheese
- Coffee grounds and coffee filters
- Teabags
- Cut or dry flowers
- All World Centric products
- Napkins, paper towels, paper plates, paper bags
- Cardboard take-out containers (must have one of the following compost certifications: BPI, TUV, OK Compost and CMA)
- Wine corks
- Wooden coffee stirrers
- Compostable bags (must have one of the following compost certifications: BPI, TUV, OK Compost and CMA)
- Pizza Boxes
- Fats, grease, oils
- Pet waste
- Compostable diapers
- Cigarette butts
- Yard waste (Find your leaf and yard waste collection schedule)
- Dryer lint, dryer sheets
- Styrofoam
- Plastic bags
- Charcoal
Project Oscar Locks
Project Oscar bins can be used to compost personal food scraps by anyone who lives in Boston. In November 2024, all Project Oscar bins will be replaced with newer, more durable, green models. The bins will also be locked.
The lock combo is: 2-1-4
Please make sure to close the lid and lock the bin after you finish dropping off your food scraps. This helps prevent contamination and ensures that your food scraps are able to be composted. Thank you!
ALL food waste, including meat, bones, dairy, and fish will be accepted in the new bins.
Store food scraps in a closed lid container. It’s convenient to have your container close to where you produce food waste. Keep your container on your kitchen countertop, by your trash can, or in your freezer. You will bring your food scrap container to your local Boston community food waste drop-off, so make sure it is easy to carry.
There is a full list of what is accepted at each community food waste drop-off program website. Check the Project Oscar page or the farmers markets food waste drop-off website for details. Please be sure to review the lists of what is accepted before you start dropping off your food waste. It is important to only drop-off accepted items so our food waste can be used to make compost.
If you would like, you can line your food scrap container with BPI-Certified compostable bags. These are available online and in most hardware and grocery stores.
When you return home from dropping off your food scraps, wash your bin in the sink. Put a little bit of dish soap inside, and rinse a few times with warm water. Throw a bit of baking soda in the bottom of your bin to freshen it up!
Thank you for participating in our programs, and for doing your part to make Boston a zero waste city!
Who's Involved:
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Have questions? Contact:
-
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOCKED BINS
In November 2024, all Project Oscar bins will be replaced with newer, more durable, green models. The bins will also be locked.
The lock combo is: 2-1-4
Please make sure to close the lid and lock the bin after you finish dropping off your food scraps. This helps prevent contamination and ensures that your food scraps are able to be composted. Thank you!
ALL food waste, including meat, bones, dairy, and fish will be accepted in the new bins.
