Are you new to composting and plan on dropping off your food scrap at your nearest drop-off location? If yes then you're probably wondering what is allowed and what is not allowed in the food scraps bins so here is a breakdown of what you can and can't drop off and why it's important when going to your local food drop off site.
What you can drop off
Before you bring your compost be sure to check beforehand that your local nearest food scrap drop off site is open. When bringing your food scraps, the following items are allowed: fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, nuts, flowers, house plants, bread, rice, and pasta as well as brown paper. It is important that the food scraps are free from any packaging like boxes and plastic so make sure there is no packaging in your food scraps.
What you can't drop off
Don’t drop off meat, bones, or dairy. No trash such as diapers, personal hygiene products, animal waste, wrappers, non-paper packaging, or foam products. Metal, glass, plastic, cartons, paper, or cardboard.
Why certain items belong in food scrap drop off
Fruits & vegetables are organic materials meaning that they are biodegradable. Because organic materials decompose quickly making them biodegradable this allows the food scraps to break down through a process called composting.
Why the following items don’t belong at FSDOs
Meat and fish are not allowed in Food Scrap Drop-Offs because they attract rodents, insects and strong odors and may not decompose properly. Plastics and trash are not allowed in food scraps because they contaminate the compost which can increase microplastic pollution, and cause the compost to be useless
This Blog post was written by an CUNY Launch Intern William.
