Food scraps

• Fruits and vegetables 
• Meat, fish and bones 
• Dairy products 
• Eggs and egg shells 
• Pasta, beans and rice 
• Bread and cereal 
• Nuts and shells

Food service items

• Pizza boxes from delivery
• Napkins and paper towels 
• Wooden items (chopsticks, popsicle sticks and toothpicks) 
• Certified compostable food service items*
  • Plates
  • Cups
  • Bowls
  • Takeout containers
  • Utensils 

*Look for the BPI logo on food service items. Only items with this logo are accepted. The BPI logo means the item was tested and can fully and safely break down without leaving unnatural byproducts.

BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) is a third-party certification company. You can verify that products are certified compostable by visiting BPI World and searching the Certified Compostable Products Catalog.

BPI World

Other compostable household items

• Coffee grounds and filters 
• Tea bags (no synthetic tea bags, remove staples)
• Paper egg cartons
• Tissues
• Hair and nail clippings 
• Cotton balls and swabs with paper stems (no plastic)
• Houseplant trimmings and flowers

Do not put these items in your organics bins

• Yard waste 
• Diapers and sanitary products 
• Animal and pet waste, litter or bedding 
• Cleaning or baby wipes 
• Grease or oil 
• Plastic foam (commonly called Styrofoam)
• Dryer lint and dryer sheets 
• Recyclable items (cartons, glass, metal, paper, plastic) 
• Frozen food boxes 
• Microwave popcorn bags 
• Gum 
• Fast food wrappers 
• Products labeled “biodegradable” — this is not the same as compostable
• Paper with a shiny, smooth coating (unless it's BPI certified)
• Wax paper or parchment paper (unless it’s BPI certified)