The smaller you can make your organic material, the more you can fit in your household receptacle and the faster it will break down in the compost bin. Please take a few minutes to chop your broccoli stalks, brussels sprout stalks, cut any plant vines, and anything else that is dense in nature. Please see our Kitchen Composting Guide for signage you can print, laminate, a post in your kitchen.
What’s In?
From the House
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Baked goods, including bread
- Rice, grains, and pasta
- Paper towels and napkins
- Shredded paper plates or cups (non-lined/no plastic coating)
- Tea leaves and bags
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Egg shells
- Nonglossy SHREDDED cardboard or paper (newspaper or printer paper)
From the Yard
- Leaves (go into our BROWN SOURCE)
- Nondiseased plants and garden trimmings – please cut down vines/stalks to < 5 inches
What’s Out?
From the House
- All meat scraps, including chicken
- Fish and shellfish
- Bones
- Fat, grease, and oils
- All dairy products, including cheese
- Dryer Lint or Dryer Sheets
- Biodegradable coffee pods (these are not compostable)
- All thick compostable plastic (utensils, cups)
- Glossy cardboard or paper
- Plastic bags (compostable certified – ok)
From the Yard
- Weeds that have gone to seed
- Diseased plants
- Large branches, roots, and thorny stems
- Animal waste and bedding (including cat/dog waste)
- Coal or charcoal ash
- Anything treated with pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides