About 1/4 of residential trash is made up of food! And residential food waste makes up 40% of all wasted food in the US!! So what can we do?...
Tips for Reducing Food Waste
Plan Ahead
Planning your meals and sticking to your shopping list will keep you from buying more than you need!
Meal Prep Mate Guest-imator
Store Smart
When you store your food correctly, it last longer!
Store It FoodKeeper App
Get Creative in the Kitchen
Food that is “past-its-prime” can be made into something new and delicious!
Cook It
Compost It, Don’t Trash It
Food can be composted in nutrient-rich soil! Check out the following sections to learn about the many food-to-compost resources available to Manchester residents!
Learn How to Compost
Standard Composting
Standard methods of composting typically take place outdoors and can take many forms. To learn more, check out the resources provided below...
Turn Your Spoils into Soil... COMPOST!
Intro to Home Composting Taller del Compostaje Casero En Español
Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting is the process of composting with worms, which is typically done indoors. To learn more, check out the resources provided below...
Worms Can Recycle Your Garbage
Worms Can Recycle Your Garbage (Vermicomposting) Worm Composting
With the Food Scrap Drop-off program, residents can bring their food scraps to one of our drop-off stations. The scraps are collected and brought to a nearby facility to be processed into compost and bio-gas (which is captured for energy!).
Who: UPDATE APRIL 2026: All Manchester residents are eligible to use all five (5) drop-off locations, regardless of if you have your trash and recycling collected by the town. Don't forget to register! (Registration information is provided at the bottom of this section.)
What: Generally all food waste is accepted. Check out the accepted items list, below.
Where: Inside the Transfer Station (311 Olcott Street). Normal hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, 7:30am to 12pm and 12:30pm to 2:45pm; Saturday, 7:15am to 2:30pm (Closed on Mondays).
The satellite stations can only be unlocked with the use of an app. Residents who sign-up to use the satellite stations will receive an email containing instructions on how to download and use the app required for unlocking the stations.
App-Access Satellite Stations
- Transfer Station Entrance, 311 Olcott Street - Located near Olcott Street, on the right
- Whiton Library, 100 North Main Street - Back parking lot entrance, on sidewalk
- Senior Center, 549 East Middle Turnpike - Back corner of the parking lot
- Mount Nebo Park, 155 Spring Street - Spring Street entrance, to the left
- NEW! Mahoney Recreation Center, 110 Cedar St - parking lot
Interactive Map of Satellite Stations
When: The pilot program was successful, and we are pleased to continue providing this service for residents.
Registration: To register, apply for a FREE Recycling Permit.
When you register, it gives us a better understanding of the magnitude to which we're creating change! It also provides us with your contact information so we can keep you up-to-date on what's happening with the program. All Manchester residents who register are eligible for a FREE 6-gallon food scrap pail plus a roll of bio-bags!!
Register now for your FREE Recycling Permit!
Satellite Drop-off Station App Instructions
Once you've registered, you're ready to download the app!
(Note: only registered participants will be granted approval to use the app.)
Blue Earth is the only known hauler in our region that provides food waste collection services directly to residents. Residents have the option to hire Blue Earth to collect their food scraps and send them to a local facility for composting. As part of Blue Earth's program, residents who pay for this service receive free compost. Blue Earth's Residential Food Waste Pick-Up Program is not affiliated with the Town of Manchester.
Learn More