Two New Cities Include the Food!
Compost is the coolest! It is easy, it’s great for the environment and it makes amazing nutrient rich soil!
Your backyard is a great place to ‘capture the gold’ of fruits and vegetables anywhere in the region.
Soon Beaverton and Milwaukie households get to compost items that don’t go in the backyard such as grains, meats, bones and dairy. That’s because these Cities will join Lake Oswego, Forest Grove and Portland in providing food scrap collection in the curbside program.
Starting in August for Milwaukie and October for Beaverton, residents can start placing all food scraps in the cart with the yard debris.
Residential curbside composting includes…
Yard Debris: Weeds, grass clippings, small branches, flowers, garden clean out, house plants plant clippings etc.
Food scraps: All food – meat, poultry, seafood, bones, eggshells, cheese, bread, grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, plate scrapings and spoiled food.
Other: Limited quantities of food-soiled paper napkins, paper towels, tea bags, coffee filters and pizza delivery boxes (not allow in Lake Oswego)
BPI – Certified compostable liners
Remember! Commercial compost containers receive FOOD ONLY!
As new folks come on board, Master Recyclers can help people adjust to new habits.
It just takes four easy steps and voila!
Here are some tips and tricks you can share
Keeping your pail clean.
Empty it frequently. You don’t have to wait until it’s full to empty, if you’re worried about smells empty it every night. You can also store it in the fridge or freezer – if you have room, I know I don’t.
Wash your pail. Most pails are dishwasher safe, especially for the top shelf or just give it a quick wash in the sink.
Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom. This will help reduce odors and absorb some moisture.
Use an option liner – newspaper, junk mail a paper bag or an approved compostable liner.
Keeping the roll cart clean:
Keep the lid closed. This will help keep flies and other pests out, including rain water.
Set it out weekly, even if it’s not full we recommend setting it out.
Line the bottom of the cart with newspaper or a paper bag.
Sprinkle baking soda in your cart
Use soap and water to clean the cart. Just be sure to pour the dirty water on gravel or grass NOT down the storm drain.
Together we can make a difference. In the first year of food scrap collection, Portland reduced the garbage by 40% and collected three times the compost!