Composting in Marin

Food Scraps

Regardless of their condition, all food scraps belong in the compost. If food scraps go to landfills, they create methane gas. Methane is a short-lived climate pollutant like carbon dioxide; a powerful heat-trapping gas that contributes to climate change. By composting our food scraps, we can return nutrients to the soil and avoid methane emissions from landfills.

Whether it’s raw (such as banana peels and carrot tops), cooked (such as plate scrapings, meat, and bones), or rotten (such as expired leftovers and takeout) — it all belongs in the green cart.

Food Soiled Paper

While clean paper can be recycled, when paper materials are wet, greasy, or covered in food, they are not clean enough to be recycled. However, paper and cardboard are made from trees, so soiled paper should be composted!

Soiled paper that has no plastic coating such as paper napkins, paper towels, paper plates, coffee filters and pizza boxes belong in the green cart. Paper with a shiny surface is not compostable and belongs in the garbage; for example, coffee cups and milk cartons do not belong in compost because they have a plastic liner.

Yard & Garden Waste

If you have plant trimmings from your yard, flowers that wilted, or a house plant that died, make sure it ends up in your green cart! However, be careful not to put excess amounts of dirt in your carts — large amounts of dirt and rock do not belong in your compost cart.

Zero Waste Marin offers kitchen compost pails at many local events, including fairs, community events, and farmers’ markets.

You can also contact your local hauler to see if they provide compost pails.

Backyard composting is an option for those who would like to process their own organic waste in their backyard; there are several differences between backyard composting and curbside composting through your waste hauler.

For your large green rolling cart: To prevent odors, mix food waste with yard waste and fiber materials such as soiled paper or cardboard (like a pizza box!). Add one layer of yard waste, newspaper, or shredded paper to the bottom of your green cart before adding food scraps.

For your kitchen compost pail: Because compostable plastic bags are not permitted in the majority of Marin, there are several other methods you can use to prevent smells:

• Keep food scraps in a container in your freezer, then empty them directly into your green curbside cart before service day.
  
  
• Line your kitchen pail with newspaper or a paper bag, then empty into your green cart.
  
  
• Empty your kitchen pail into your green cart once per day and rinse it afterwards.

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