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Yard
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Food & Yard Waste at Your House
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Tips
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Food & Yard Waste Tips
Food & Yard Waste Cart Tips
Special circumstances
Handling Kitchen Scraps
Avoiding odors and fruit flies
Backyard composting and alternatives
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Food & Yard Waste Cart Tips
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How do I clean my cart?
If you need to clean your food and yard waste cart, please rinse and dump the liquid on a lawn, planting area, or gravel bed. Do not dump the liquid down a storm drain or in the street where the waste water will go down the storm drain.
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What do I do with yard waste that doesn’t fit in my City-provided cart?
A fee of $2.95 is charged for each additional 32-gallon container or each 4 foot by 2 foot bundle. Please tie the bundle with natural fiber twine. Maximum weight for each extra container or bundle is 60 pounds.
See suggestions for containers for extra yard waste.
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Special circumstances
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What if I have no space or can’t move the cart?
We will assist food and yard waste customers who may have space restrictions or are unable to transport a cart of this size to the curb for collection.
Please try using the cart first. If you can’t find a way to use the cart, call SPU Customer Service at (206) 684-3000 for assistance. A site visit by our inspection staff can help determine possible options for you.
Can I put food waste directly into the cart?
Yes, you can put food waste right in the cart, preferably between layers of yard waste or covered with shredded paper.
You can also use a paper bag, an approved compostable bag, or newspaper to wrap up the food waste.
Do not put plastic bags in your cart. Food and yard waste will not be collected if plastic bags are found.
Food waste is allowed only in the City-provided 96-gallon cart, not in any extra containers or bundles.
Placing newspaper at the bottom of your cart can help keep your cart clean.
What are approved compostable bags and where can I get them?
Some people like to bag their food waste before placing it in their yard waste cart, to avoid odors and sticking. Approved compostable bags are made of material such as corn.
Only compostable bags that are approved by the City’s composting facility are accepted in the food and yard waste cart. These currently include BioBags, EcoSafe, BioSak, Nature Friendly, and EcoGuard. BioBag is the product currently most available.
You can buy compostable bags at a variety of retail stores or online.
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Handling Kitchen Scraps
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How can I store food waste?
Here are some ways you can contain your food waste and transfer it to the cart. For more ideas, go to Kitchen Scrap Container Tips.
- • Bag it! Use a paper or approved compostable bag to store food scraps. Just toss the full bag directly in your food and yard waste cart.
Plastic bags are not allowed in the cart- they ruin the compost.
- • Store it! Use a container with a tight fitting lid for your food scraps. Your container can be plastic, metal or ceramic. Lining it with paper towels, newspaper, or an approved compostable bag may help keep it cleaner.
Empty contents into the food and yard waste cart, then rinse and reuse the container.
- • Use the news! Wrapping your scraps in newspaper is easy and helps keep your cart clean.
- • Chill it! Put leftovers in a container or wrap them in paper, then place them in your refrigerator or freezer until collection day. This may sound strange, but residents say this system works great!
- • Caution! If you use a milk carton, do not put the milk carton into the cart. Rinse it out and reuse or recycle it. The thin plastic lining of the carton degrades the compost.
Plastic bags also ruin the compost. If you must use one, dump the scraps out of the bag into the cart, then throw the bag into the garbage..
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Avoiding odors and fruit flies
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How do I avoid fruit flies and odors?
Fruit flies will not harm you or the food waste but they can be pesky. Here are helpful tips:
- • To reduce odors, sprinkle baking soda in the container.
- • Wash your kitchen container thoroughly with detergent and water after every use.
- • Use a vacuum cleaner (very effective for removing fruit flies).
- • Get melon waste out to the cart right away.
- • Rub vinegar around the rim of the container.
- • In your food waste cart, cover all food scraps with yard waste, shredded paper, or damp newspaper.
- • For more information, please call the Garden Hotline at (206) 633-0224..
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Backyard composting and alternatives
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What are alternatives to paying for food & yard waste service?
You need to choose either to subscribe to food and yard waste service or to compost it in your backyard. Yard waste is also accepted at the nearest Recycling and Disposal Station for a fee.
Yard waste is not allowed in your garbage. Food waste is allowed in the garbage, but why waste a good thing?
Does it make sense to have a backyard composter in addition to yard waste collection?
It depends on the size of your yard and how much yard waste you have. With a backyard unit for yard waste and Green Cones for food scraps you can harvest the compost and amend your own garden soils.
If you have lots of brush, excess lawn trimmings, or leaves that you can’t handle on site, then you may prefer to also subscribe to curbside collection or haul the extra yard waste to a City transfer station or private drop site. Also, invasive plants should not be composted in your home pile but do break down at the compost facility due to the larger volumes of material and higher temperatures.
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Related Links
Backyard Composting
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