Food Scraps Novato
What is one of the easiest ways to reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill each month? Compost your food scraps!
All Novato residents can now put ALL food scraps in their yard debris cart. Almost 30% of residential garbage is food waste. By sending your food scraps to be composted instead of landfilled, you are preserving landfill space, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and allowing nutrients to return to the soil.
When we say ALL food scraps, we mean it!
In addition to the usual items accepted such as weeds, leaves, landscape prunings, and grass clippings, when we say "all" food scraps we mean it. This includes: meat, fish, cheese, food leftovers, fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, bread, coffee filters and grounds, tea bags, soiled paper towels and egg shells. In order for this program to be successful, it is important that contaminates are kept out of the yard debris can. That means NO: glass, plastic bags, compostable plastics (even "bio-bags"), poison oak, cactus, palm fronds, bamboo, sod, dirt, animal waste or other refuse.
How does it work?
Instead of scraping plates into the garbage or into the disposal, scrape them into a paper bag or wrap in newspaper. Simply put the whole thing into the yard debris cart. Or, place a bucket or bowl on the counter while preparing a meal and dump materials loose in your green cart.