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Bury Your Pet Waste and Vegetable Food Scraps

Pet Waste

Pet wastes should not be composted along with yard waste, in worm bins or in vegetable garden beds. Burying pet wastes in ornamental garden beds is one of the simplest methods of dealing with pet waste. In King County, it also is acceptable to wrap and dispose of pet waste in the garbage.

To bury pet waste:

1. Dig a hole about one foot deep. Put three to four inches of pet waste at the bottom of the hole, and use a shovel to chop and mix the wastes into the soil at the bottom.
2. Cover the waste with at least eight inches of soil to keep rodents and pets from digging it up.

Vegetable Food Scrap Composting

Vegetable food scraps (no meat, bones or dairy) from the kitchen should not be put in your backyard compost bin. Instead, kitchen scraps can be composted in a worm bin or by burying in ornamental garden beds.

To bury food scraps:

1. Dig a hole about 1 foot deep. Put three to four inches of vegetable food scraps at the bottom of hole and use a shovel to chop and mix the wastes into the soil at the bottom. Do not put meat scraps in the hole, they attract pests.
2. Cover the waste with at least eight inches of soil to keep rodents and pets from digging it up.

Learn about making compost from vegetable food scraps.

Turn your vegetable food waste scraps into valuable compost to use in your garden the natural way. Burying your food scraps is one choice for handling food scraps. Here are your other choices:

• Curbside collection with yard waste (in areas with this service)
• Worm bin composting

What about using my garbage disposal for food waste disposal?

In-sink garbage disposals should only be used for certain types of food waste and liquids from food preparation. Learn more about keeping fats, oils and grease out of the garbage disposal and sewer system. If you're going to use a garbage disposal, take the time to learn more about how to conserve water (external).

Questions about kitchen waste composting and natural yard care? Contact The Natural Lawn and Garden hotline at 206-633-0224 or info@lawnandgardenhotline.org.

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