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Acceptable Yard & Food Waste
Acceptable Yard & Food Waste
Yard waste includes organic matter grown in your yard that can be composted. It is not allowed in your garbage container because it creates methanol gas when it is put in the landfill. Yard waste can be composted and made into enriching compost and mulch.
Items allowed in yard waste carts
Once you receive your new 96-gallon yard waste cart from the City of Seattle, you can only add food-soiled paper and food scraps to yard waste in your cart. Do not put food scraps and food-soiled paper in any other yard waste container.
Yes, it’s food soiled paper & food scraps
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No, it’s not food soiled paper & food scraps
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These items can be placed in your yard waste cart:
Food scraps (vegetative waste)
- • Fruit & vegetables
- • Bread, pasta, grains
- • Eggshells, nutshells
- • Coffee grounds & filters
- • Tea bags
Food-soiled paper
- • Paper towels & napkins
- • Uncoated paper plates & cups
- • Paper food wrap
- • Greasy pizza boxes
- • Shredded paper
- • Paper bags containing vegetative waste
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Keep these items out of your yard waste cart and other yard waste containers:
- • Plastic bags
- • Meat, fish, and chicken
- • Dairy products (milk, butter, cheese)
- • Styrofoam containers
- • Coated paper cups & plates
- • Grease
- • Liquids
- • Facial or toilet tissue
- • Diapers
- • Any items listed under, No, it’s not yard waste, below
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Read a list of great suggestions from Seattle residents for ways to store your food scraps in the kitchen.
Items allowed in extra yard waste containers
If you have yard waste that doesn’t fit in your yard waste cart, you can set out 1 additional 32-gallon container for collection. Do not put food scraps or food-soiled paper in your additional container. Extra yard waste containers (more than 1 additional container) will be charged at $1.60 per 32-gallon container.
Yes, it’s yard waste
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No, it is not yard waste
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These items can be composted or put out for yard waste collection:
- • Plant material (leaves, stems, roots, etc.)
- • Grass
- • Leaves
- • Plant and tree trimmings
- • Houseplants (no pots)
- • Small amounts of sod (less than 60 pounds)
- • Branches and twigs (up to 4 inches in diameter and 4 feet in length)
- • Holiday trees free of tinsel, ornaments, and flock; the tree must be less than 6 feet and the base must be less than 4 inches diameter.
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Do not compost these items or put them out for yard waste collection:
- • Plastic or synthetic bags
- • Rocks/gravel
- • Cement/concrete
- • Boulders
- • Bundles larger than 4 feet long and 2 feet in diameter
- • Bundles tied with wire, nylon cording, plastic banding
- • Loose soil
- • Lumber/wood
- • Fencing material
- • Animal waste
- • Metal
- • Household trash/litter
- • Hoses and garden tools
- • Bricks and tile
- • Construction debris
- • Nursery pots
- • Hazardous wastes
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Related links
Start or Stop Yard & Food Waste Service
Composting
Climate Action Now
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