Even when we do our best to reduce food waste, it's inevitable some scraps will need to be disposed of. It’s important to ensure that this waste ends up in the proper receptacle - your compost bin!
The benefit of composting is twofold; it prevents food from entering landfills and emitting methane, while also allowing for the material to be reused to increase soil nutrients. By diverting food waste from landfills we are preventing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing transportation costs and creating a beneficial resource.
In Seattle, we’re lucky to have city-wide composting, so we all have access to compost. The UW’s compost is processed locally by Cedar Grove. Cedar Grove’s industrial composting facilities can handle items which wouldn’t easily compost in a personal compost pile. In addition to the usual food scraps, items like meat, bones, food-soiled paper products and even some packaging materials can go in the compost bin, which can make it confusing for folks who aren't used to having composting available. Here is a general list of what can be composted in Seattle and on the UW campus:
- Food scraps
- Items such as fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, etc.
- Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, bones
- Egg and dairy products
- Coffee grounds, filters, tea leaves
- Food soiled paper
- Paper towels and paper napkins
- Pizza boxes
- Paper bags
- Some coffee cups (especially those purchased on campus)
- Compostable serviceware
- Almost all of the packaging and serviceware used for takeout containers on campus are compostable, but read the label to be sure.
- Yard waste
If you’re unsure, check out UW Recycling’s disposal guide on campus, the City of Seattle’s ‘Where Does It Go?’ tool or similar resources for surrounding cities and counties.
To get even more information about proper recycling and composting on campus, take UW Recycling's Waste 101 online course.