Compost food: it’s not garbage

Every year, Seattle spends more than $13 million sending trash to a landfill in eastern Oregon. More than one-third of the material is made up of table scraps, coffee grounds, banana peels and other food waste.

Starting January 1, 2015 the City of Seattle will no longer allow the disposal of food and compostable paper, such as food-soiled paper and napkins, in the garbage. After July 1, 2015 fines will be issued to residents and businesses for garbage containers containing too much food or recyclables.

Today, more than 300,000 single-family, multi-family and commercial establishments participate in Seattle’s food and yard waste program. This program has diverted nearly 400,000 tons of food waste from entering the landfill through curbside food collection since 2005. Visit the City of Seattle’s food and yard website to learn more about composting.