Food Waste – It’s Not Garbage Any More

REMINDER to Wallingford residents: Garbage, recycling, and yard waste pickup will be one hour earlier – 6:00 am – this Friday, October 28. The earlier pickup time is in response to the viaduct closure and is only for Seattle residents living north of the Ship Canal and west of I-5.

If you really want to reduce the size of your garbage can, plus make your garbage can less “fragrant,”  put all of your food scraps into your yard/food waste container. Any food item without any plastic or foil wrapping can go in your yard/food waste container. One exception is containers of grease and fat, which must go into the garbage.

YES in food/yard waste:

Any kind of food, including meat, bones, and shells.

Coffee grounds, coffee filters, tea bags

Uncoated – not shiny – paper plates, like the inexpensive thin white ones and Chinet brand

Paper napkins, paper towels, uncoated paper bags, pizza boxes, food-soiled newspaper

Shredded paper – loose, mix with moist stuff

Compostable bags and brown or tan-colored compostable food containers approved by Cedar Grove: see http://www.seattle.gov/util/foodwaste for examples

Waxed paper (but not waxed cardboard products – see below)

NO in food/yard waste:

Biodegradable containers not approved by Cedar Grove

Styrofoam containers

Dirty coated (shiny surface) plates, cups, bowls – clean and recycle

Waxed cardboard items such as milk cartons and ice cream containers – rinse and recycle

Disposable utensils even if they are marked as “compostable” or “biodegradable.” These are compostable only by commercial customers.

Grease and fats in lidded container

Facial or toilet tissue, diapers, pet waste, pet bedding, cat litter

Reduce your garbage – help Wallingford win the Think Green Recycling Challenge: http://www.wmnorthwest.com/seattle/seattlerewards.html