Keeping Compostable Materials Out of the Landfill

July 30, 2020

All too often, material that is compostable—able to be broken down and returned to the earth safely—ends up in a landfill where it can actually be harmful. Organic material that ends up buried in a landfill undergoes the process of anaerobic decomposition, eventually generating and emitting methane into the air. Yikes! That said, it is essential to contribute to the solution, rather than the problem, by recycling compostable materials instead of sending them off to a local landfill. We can help with that!

The SMSC Organics Recycling Facility takes in organic materials from residential, commercial, and municipal customers to create high-quality compost, compost blends, colored mulch, and more! Imagine that—material that may otherwise have been tossed in a landfill can instead become a useful product that goes back into the earth! But how do you know what materials are compostable and shouldn’t be thrown away?

Check out what materials the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility does—and does not—accept for composting.

Yes, we can take that!

  • Untreated wood—brush, logs, chips, pallets, shavings, sawdust
  • Yard waste—grass clippings, leaves, mulch, mixed loads of yard waste/brush, straw/hay bales, plants, flowers, compostable paper products
  • Sod/dirt
  • Stumps
  • Food waste—fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, bones, dairy products, eggs, eggshells, dry goods, pet food
  • Paper products—soiled napkins, paper towels, tissues, paper egg cartons, shredded paper, pizza boxes from delivery
  • Certified compostable plates, bowls, and containers*.
  • Other—coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, houseplant trimmings, wood chopsticks, popsicle sticks, toothpicks
  • Certified-compostable plastic products*

* Must have BPI or Cedar Grove logo on product or product container.

No, that won’t do.

  • Cooking grease or oil
  • Paper—paper that can be recycled, cartons (milk cartons, juice boxes, soup, broth, and wine cartons), refrigerated and frozen food boxes, fast food wrappers, butcher paper/wrap, microwave popcorn bags, ice cream tubs, take-out food containers
  • Other—glass, plastic, paper, metal, animal waste and litter, diapers and sanitary products, cleaning or baby wipes, cigarettes, fireplace or barbecue ashes, rocks, soil, dirt, and glued, painted, or treated wood

Please contact us for pricing or additional information about what we do/do not take in at 952.233.9191. Thank you for doing your part lessen the load of unnecessary materials making their way to landfills!