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Food Scraps and Compostable Paper are Resources

254,722 tons were disposed of at the landfill in 2006

KC Waste Stream What's in your garbage? Seventy-five percent of materials thrown away are resources – not waste.

What is it?

Food scraps are unwanted cooking preparation and table scraps, including items such as banana peels, apple cores, bones, egg shells, meat and pizza crust. Compostable paper, sometimes called food soiled paper, usually comes from the kitchen and is not appropriate for paper recycling due to its contamination. Materials such as stained pizza boxes, uncoated paper cups and plates, used coffee filters, microwave popcorn bags, paper food cartons, napkins and paper towels are all compostable paper.

Why recycle food scraps?

In the landfill, food and soiled paper are a wasted resource. Both food scraps and food soiled paper can compost very well into a soil amendment that is valuable to soil and plant health. You may be putting your vegetative materials in a worm bin and that is another great alternative. However, technological advances now allow safe collection and processing, and many areas within King County have curbside collection of food scraps mixed with yard waste where materials are made into compost by Cedar Grove Composting (external link).

What can you do?

• Over half the residents in King County can now recycle food and food-soiled paper in yard waste bins. Check the Recycle Food. It’s Easy To Do. section of the site to find out if your area is included. If your area is not listed, please check back as more areas are being added continually.
• You can also contact your city government and tell them you are interested in being able to put food scraps and compostable paper into your yard waste container.
• For vegetative waste only, consider a worm bin.
• If you are a business, ask your city if collection is an option or consider setting up an on-site composting system.

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