Residential Food Scraps Recycling

Scrap It! Curbside is a joint effort between the City of Buffalo and Farmer Pirates to offer free curbside compost pickup to 2,000 City of Buffalo residents in all nine Common Council districts.

Buffalo's ScrapIt! Curbside logo

heads up, matey!

While the program is currently full, we recommend preregistering to be placed on the waitlist as we enroll based on the waitlist and when spots become available. Due to a new grant award, this pilot is set to increase participation numbers in 2026. If you are on the waitlist, you will be first in line to join!

Pre-Register

After you’ve preregistered and while you’re waiting, we encourage you to get started now by joining one of these Drop Off programs:

Buffalo Scrap It! Drop Off
Farmer Pirates' Neighborhood Drop Off**

**Contact us to sign up!

This program is for

  • Who You Are

    City of Buffalo residents living in all nine Common Council Districts

  • Where You Live

    In a residential home with three units or fewer

Pre-Register

Here’s how it works

  • A document icon

    Pre-Register

    Complete the quick sign up form to be placed on the Scrap It! Curbside waitlist. Once a spot opens, we will reach out with more info.

    Sign Up
  • A veggie scraps icon

    All Aboard

    Be on the lookout! You will receive your very own collection tote and liner. Collect accepted food scraps inside. Need a list?

    Get A list
  • Farmer Pirates compost truck icon

    Compost Time

    Put out your tote on your pickup day with your garbage and recycling. We’ll stop by, empty your tote and leave you a clean, fresh liner.

    See Terms

Got Questions?

Head to our FAQ page or download the FAQ PDF below to see if we answer it there. If not, feel free to reach out!

Read FAQ
Download FAQ

Live in Buffalo but not eligible?

We offer other composting services to City of Buffalo residents. Check them out below.

Neighborhood drop off

Farmer Pirates currently has three drop off locations open in the City of Buffalo.

See Locations

Commercial composting

Businesses or large apartment buildings? Our commercial service may be right for you!

Check It Out

Scrap It! Drop Off Program

Free drop off program for City residents through a partnership with Natural Upcycling.

More Info

City Scrap It! Curbside Testimonials

  • Farmer Pirates Compost is great! They pick up at our house on our normal trash day and provide a new liner each week. They make it easy for our busy family to compost so it’s a win win all around!

    -Rachel R.

  • Our family has LOVED the City Scrap It! Curbside program with Farmer Pirates. It is a simple process - we use a smaller counter container for kitchen scraps and then dump it into the brown tote when it's full. We have been amazed at how much we generate each week. It has turned into a family competition of how much we can compost opposed to trash. The best is hearing our teenagers say, "Wait that can be composted!"

    -Jenn S.

  • Composting with Farmer Pirates has made me realize just how much food waste I had been putting in the trash. It made me rethink how I buy and use my fresh foods and I am very grateful that my fresh food scraps and some of the containers can be used to make compost to help gardeners and food growers....a full circle of use and reuse!

    -Jeanne S.

  • Using the brown tote has taken the smell out of my garbage tote, helped me organize my refuse and made me feel environmental friendly. Plus, knowing the compost they return to me is clean and healthy has encouraged me to expand my garden.

    -Joseph A.

  • Although we try really hard to eliminate food waste it feels inevitable but composting helps take away the guilt. Our garbage has become so light and honestly with no food in it we can go almost a month without changing it because there is nothing gross in there and there is a lot less stuff. I have gotten to the point where composting just feels so normal that if we are out and about at a community event and eat a banana I panic that I have a banana peel and no compost bin to put it in. Turning food scraps into useful compost feels like magic and Farmer Pirates makes it SO EASY! I want to shout it from the roof tops that everyone needs to try it!

    -Laura S.