What can't go in your green cart
Keep these items out of our Green Cart food and yard waste program.
Removing these items helps us produce high quality compost that will be used at local farms, gardens and in our community. Make sure you know what acceptable items can go in the compost.
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Use What Goes Where to find the proper recycling and disposal answers.
No. Keep these items out of your green cart
No plastic or biodegradable bags
TIP: If using a bag to line your kitchen pail, only use certified compostable bags. If your cart is full, use a paper yard waste bag.
Do not use:
- Yard waste in any type of plastic bag.
- Food waste in any type of plastic bag.
- Produce bags
- Garbage bags
- Biodegradable bags
- Shopping and grocery bags
- Fabric bags
- Plastic pet waste bags
No packaging materials
Preparation: Remove all food from its packaging and put it in your kitchen pail.
Do not include:
- Coffee cups
- Foam meat trays
- Takeout containers (foam, foil, and plastic)
- Coffee pods (plastic or compostable)
- Metal food cans
- Plastic containers, bottles and tubs
- Glass jars
- Plastic bags
- Refundable beverage containers
- Aerosol sprays such as whipping cream, cooking oil.
- Fruit or vegetable stickers
No painted or treated wood
Do not include:
- Pressure-treated wood such as deck or fencing wood.
- Manufactured wood - plywood, particle board/oriented strand board (OSB), wood panelling, hardboard (HDF) and (MDF).
- Furniture - wood, wicker, bamboo etc.
No diapers or personal hygiene items
All personal hygiene products belong in your black cart as garbage.
Many hygiene products often contain plastics and are used for make-up removal, cleaning and other chemicals that do not belong in the green cart.
Do not include:
- Cleaning wipes, makeup wipes and baby wipes
- Cotton swabs/Q-tips
- Diapers
- Tampons, applicators, sanitary napkins and menstrual pads
- Cotton balls
- Any paper products used as toilet paper
No clothing, textiles or fabrics
Do not include:
- Clothes (shirts, pants, jackets, shoes etc.)
- Fabric (scraps, cloths, rags etc.)
- Linens (towels, curtains, sheets etc.)
- Cushions and pillows
- Reusable bags
- Blankets
No plastic serviceware
Do not include:
- Plastic plates and containers
- Plastic spoons, forks, knives and straws
- Foam plates and containers
- Compostable plastic takeout containers (cups, plates, bowls, utensils)
Even if these items are marked as "compostable", they are not accepted in the green cart program.
Please note: Compostable bags are ok to use to line your kitchen pail.
Why can't compostable plastic products go in the green cart?
We tested a variety of compostable coffee pods, compostable containers and compostable cutlery.
These items did not break down at the composting facility leaving behind compostable plastic pieces. This contamination increases costs and impacts the quality of the finished compost.
Put compostable plastic items in the garbage.
This compostable plastic spoon went through the composting facility but did not break down.
This compostable coffee cup lid went through the composting facility but did not break down.
This compostable coffee pod went through the composting facility but did not break down.
These compostable plastic items (spoon, coffee cup lid and coffee pod) went through the composting facility but did not break down.
Have other items to dispose?
Items for green cart
View what items can go into your green cart for compost.
Items for blue cart
View what items can and can't go into your blue cart for recycling.
Items for black cart
View what items can and can't go into your black cart for garbage.