What can I put in my food scrap bags?
All food items
All food items are accepted. This is a list of common food scrap items:
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Fruits and vegetables (including peels, pits and rinds)
- Dairy products (including cheese and yogurt)
- Nuts and nut shells (except black walnut shells)
- Bread, tortillas, pasta, rice and cereals
- Eggs and eggshells
- Moldy or rotten food
- Meat and seafood (including bones, scales and shells)
- Beans and lentils
- Tea leaves and paper tea bags
- Corn cobs, corn husks and popcorn kernels
- Pastries, pies, dough and candy
- Herbs and spices
- Seeds (including bird seeds)
- Pet food
BPI certified compostable items
ONLY BPI certified compostable cups, plates, utensils, bags, parchment, wax paper, coffee pods, etc. Check that the product or packaging has the “compostable” logo from the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) on it.
Non-recyclable paper
- Paper towels
- Tissues and napkins free of inks, dyes and glitter and not used with cosmetics or chemicals
- Paper egg cartons (remove any sticker labels)
Paper products that can be recycled should be placed in your recycling cart or dumpster, rather than included in food scraps collection. Check with your recycling hauler for accepted items.
Other items accepted
- Houseplant trimmings (including small flower bouquets)
- Small wooden items (like chopsticks, popsicle sticks and toothpicks)
These items are NOT accepted
This list includes examples of common household items that do NOT belong in your food scrap bags. When in doubt, keep it out.
- Ashes
- Batteries or electronic waste
- Black walnut shells
- Butcher paper, wax paper, parchment paper or muffin cups (without the BPI logo)
- Cartons (including milk, wine, broth and ice cream cartons)
- Charcoal
- Chewing gum
- Cigarettes
- Cotton balls and swabs
- Dead animals (including waste from cleaning fish or butchering game)
- Dental floss
- Diapers
- Dryer lint or dryer sheets
- Food packaging
- Frozen food boxes
- Gloves, balloons or similar products
- Grease or oil
- Hair and nail clippings
- Hazardous waste (including paint, cleaners and automotive fluids)
- Liquids
- Medications and vitamins
- Microwave popcorn bags
- Pizza boxes
- Paper or plastic products (like plates, bowls, cups and to-go containers) without the BPI logo
- Pet waste, litter or bedding
- Personal hygiene products
- Plastic bags
- Polystyrene (Styrofoam TM)
- Recyclable items (boxes, cartons, glass, metal, paper and plastic)
- Rocks, soil or dirt
- Rubber or rubber bands
- Sharps (Needles and syringes)
- Shredded paper
- Stickers on produce
- Trash
- Vacuum cleaner bags and contents or floor sweepings
- Wax
- Wipes (all kinds)
- Wood or sawdust
- Wrappers or containers (including take-out food containers) without the BPI logo
- Wrapping paper, tissue paper, packing paper, tape or receipts
- Yard and garden waste (including grass, leaves and branches)
Refer to your county's website for more information on how to dispose of items not accepted in food scraps collection.