Zero Waste Chicago
City Guide

There are many zero waste programs and resources near you. Whether it is a compost drop off site or a restaurant specializing in reducing food waste, we’ve gathered our favorites for the city of Chicago. Do you have a recommendation we’ve missed? Contact us here.

Programs
Grocery Stores
Restaurants
Events
Compost Drop Off Sites

Zero Waste Programs

Get involved with your local community with these zero waste programs. Chicago has many options you can participate in.

Seven Generations Ahead

Seven Generations Ahead (SGA) works to build healthy and sustainable communities within the Chicago area. SGA developed a zero waste program aimed at helping schools and businesses plan and implement zero waste practices.

Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has a goal to reduce waste and increase recycling across within the Chicago school system. CPS offers a variety of resources for schools to get started like a program for teachers to donate materials that others can re-use within their own schools.

Plant Chicago

Plant Chicago allows businesses and individuals to embrace sustainability through community driven hands-on projects and innovative research projects.

Zero Waste Grocery Stores

Reducing package waste and encouraging bulk purchasing are two of the benefits these zero waste grocery stores offer.

Dill Pickle Co-Op

Dill Pickle Co-Op offers its customers package free products they can purchase in bulk to avoid unnecessary waste.

Sugar Beet Co-Op

Sugar Beet Co-Op offers shoppers a wide selection of products in bulk including dry foods and liquids to avoid wasting any unnecessary packaging.

Eco & The Flamingo

Describing themselves as Chicago’s first zero waste general store, they offer sustainable, refillable, cruelty-free products like dry food, tea & coffee, cleaners, health & beauty, home goods, gifts & more!

Zero Waste Restaurants

Are you sure your left-overs are being composted and food waste is being reduced? We’ve rounded up our favorite zero waste restaurants here.

Cafe Robey

Cafe Robey brings the concept of zero Waste to their menu by taking food prep scraps from one meal and incorporating them into another to avoid placing that food waste into the trash.

Daisies

Daisies works to incorporate zero waste practices in unique ways including purchasing “ugly fruit” from local markets to use in their Kombucha recipes. They even use leftover wine from glass pour service to create vinegar! Check out Daisies to find out more inventive ways they are reducing waste in their restaurant.

Zero Waste Events

In-person and online zero waste events are available near you. Check out what is coming up!

The Illinois Food Scrap

The Illinois Food Scrap Coalition hosts a variety of Sustainable events focused on food waste reduction and composting.

Compost Drop Off Sites

80 billion pounds of food is thrown away each year. Help combat food waste by dropping off your organic waste at one of these compost options.

Green City Market

Green City Market has partnered with Healthy Soil Compost to offer a food waste drop off program to Chicagoans. Residents can drop off up to five pounds of food scraps at any Green City market location for $3.

Dill Pickle Coop

Dill Pickle Coop started a drop off compost program to allow customers to bring in their buckets of food waste for just a small fee when they come in to the store.

The Urban Canopy

The Urban Canopy offers Farmer’s Market customers a chance to participate in their compost bucket program. Customers can swap out a full food waste bucket with an empty bucket for just $5.