Composting seattle

Food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard waste are recycled into a nutrient-rich soil amendment, compost. Using compost improves the health of our plants, crops, local gardens and parks.

Vegetable and fruit trimmings, meats, fish and poultry scraps and bones, plate scrapings, egg shells, coffee grounds, paper towels and napkins—even greasy pizza delivery boxes—all can be recycled in your curbside yard waste cart. Put food scraps and food-soiled paper in the yard waste cart provided by your hauler so it can be recycled and made into compost. Check with your garbage and recycling hauler for more information about collection service. Use the drop-down menu below to find the hauler for your area:.

If you're not sure if food scraps can be put in your yard waste collection container, check with your waste hauler. For a detailed list check with your garbage hauler. Information about the investigation into a scam involving a Seattle Public Utilities private contractor. We're here to help. SPU has several financial assistance resources available, including flexible payment plans, utility discounts, and emergency bill assistance. Seattle has a reputation for having some of the best recyclers in the nation, and that includes composting as well!

Seattle residents help both the environment and the economy by composting their food scraps and yard waste. As important as it is to compost, it is more important to compost right. Follow these tips to compost right and keep compost thriving:.

Food in, plastic out : The best way to compost right is to put food and food-soiled paper in the compost bin and keep plastic out. Plastic bags, containers, and plastic packaging should never be put in the compost because they contaminate compost with micro-plastics that people use on their lawns and gardens. Whether its food scraps or ends, moldy or rotten, food can always be composted.

Food-soiled paper like greasy pizza boxes can be composted, but clean cardboard boxes should be recycled. Just make sure you recycle right. Check our compost guidelines to ensure you're putting the right materials in your compost container. We recommend specific replacement bag sizes for indoor containers pdf. The cart must be pushed to the designated site by a.

This option is recommended for buildings that have on-site maintenance staff that can move the cart from inside the property to the curb and back every week. The driver will drive or walk to the cart and empty it. The driver will also unlock the cart as needed. This option is recommended for buildings that do not have on-site maintenance staff.

Regardless of which type of service you choose, it is recommended that the compost cart is not permanently located at the curb or in an alley, as people passing by may put garbage in the container.