Kitchen Scrap Storage Tips

Clean kitchen tips

How can I store food scraps in my kitchen and keep it clean?

• Bag it! Use an uncoated (no shine) paper bag or approved compostable bag to contain and carry food scraps to your food and yard waste cart. Plastic bags ruin the compost! Approved compostable bags are made of plant material, not plastic, and have been tested by the compost facility for timely break-down in the compost.
• Put a lid on it! Use a reusable container with a tight fitting lid for your food scraps. It can be plastic, metal or ceramic. Large yogurt or margarine tubs, juice pitchers, or stainless steel canisters make containing food scraps easy.
• Chill it! Put leftovers in a container or wrap them in paper, then put them in your refrigerator or freezer until collection day. Residents say this works great!
• Greasy cardboard pizza boxes and cereal boxes (with inner bag lining removed) are simple ways to help carry leftover buffalo wings, banana peels and sliced veggies and it can all go in the cart.
• No milk cartons allowed. 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 ruins the compost.
• Keep a routine! Food and yard waste is collected weekly. To avoid smells, take your food scraps out to your curbside cart every few days.

Keeping containers clean

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:

• Use the news! Lining your cart and kitchen container or wrapping your food scraps in newspaper or paper towels is easy and helps keep your containers clean.
• To reduce odors, sprinkle baking soda in the kitchen container and food and yard waste cart.
• Wash your kitchen container thoroughly with detergent and water after every use.
• Use a vacuum cleaner to remove fruit flies.
• Put melon scraps immediately into your food and yard waste cart and cover.
• Rub vinegar around the rim of your kitchen container.
• In your food waste cart, cover food scraps with yard waste, shredded paper, or damp newspaper.
• Take your food and yard waste cart out to the curb each week, even if it is not full.