COMPOST THIS!

Compostable and accepted at Community Drop-off bins

All food scraps (remove stickers from peelings!)
Even meat, bones, grease, oils and dairy products – only small amounts of oils and grease are accepted at the Community Compost Drop-off due to making the bins hard to clean. Please mix them with more solid compostables.
Ashes from the fireplace, grill or fire pit: wood ash (no charcoal ash)
Bamboo skewers
Cardboard (tear them into smaller pieces first) **
Cereal boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first) **
Coffee grounds and paper filters
Compostable plastics including bags, utensils and drinking cups. These must be BPI certified compostable * and clearly labeled as “compostable” on the product itself, not just the packaging or online description, to be accepted by Black Bear.
Cotton balls, cotton swabs (with cardboard sticks)
Crepe paper streamers
Crumbs from the counter and floors
Dead houseplants and their soil (Watch out for styrofoam balls used in some potted plants. This is plastic and not compostable. Perlite is fine.)
Droppings and bedding from rabbit/gerbil/hamsters
Dryer lint
Eggshells
Feathers
Flowers
Fur from the dog or cat (if not treated with insecticides)
Hair
Leaves trimmed from houseplants
Masking tape
Melted ice cream
Moldy cheese
Nail clippings
Natural potpourri
Newspapers (shredded or torn into small pieces)
Newspaper and droppings from the bottom of bird cages
Nuts and shells
Old condiments from the fridge
Old herbs and spices
Old loofahs and natural sponges
Paper bags, either ripped or balled up **
Paper cupcake or muffin liners (Watch out for ones that have a plastic liner making them not compostable)
Paper egg cartons
Paper labels from jars and cans
Paper napkins, paper towels
Paper tablecloths (tear them into smaller pieces first)
Paper towel rolls, ripped up **
Parchment paper
Pencil shavings
Pet food and treats
Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
Popsicle sticks
Raffia
Rawhide dog chews (abandoned)
Shredded paper, paper scraps **
Soap slivers
Some used paper plates like the Chinet-type ones. Ones with a shiny and/or colored surface are plastic lined and not compostable.
Sticky notes **
Tea bags (if not synthetic)
Tissues
Toilet paper rolls **
Toothpicks
Unpopped popcorn
Waxed paper
Wine corks (natural cork, not plastic)
Wooden coffee stirrers
Wooden disposable chop sticks

*BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) certification for plastic compostables is essential because ” … not all plastics made from plants or marked as biodegradable reliably decompose during the composting process.” – Black Bear Composting

Most fully compostable plastics will have the symbol at right somewhere on them. Other acceptable symbols indicating complete compostability in a commercial facility include those below, as well as “ASTM D6400.”

compostablesymbols

Please note the #7 recyclable symbol must have “PLA” under it and NOT “other.”

For food items that are still edible but unwanted, consider donating them to a homeless shelter. If they are no longer suitable for human consumption, consider using as animal food. If that is not feasible, composting is a better option to landfilling or sending to a waste-to-energy facility, in terms of positive environmental impact. (see graphic below)

**Clean paper products are best recycled if they cannot be reused. Once soiled or not recyclable, composting is a great option.

What is NOT compostable

plastic lined paper products (like almost all paper cups, paper milk cartons, frozen food containers (boxes and cartons), paper plates with a shiny surface, paper from sugar packets, microwave popcorn bags, and many raisin boxes)
rubber and latex items including chewing gum and rubber bands
treated wood
string and twine
cash register (thermal) receipts, due to their BPA content they should not go into the paper recycle stream or be composted. BPA-free receipt paper is available and acceptable for paper recycling or composting.
herbicide-treated plants, and manures from animals fed these plants
baby wipes
dryer sheets
fabrics of any kind, including burlap. Although many contain natural fibers, they are generally treated with chemicals that prevent decomposition.

If in doubt, leave it out!

Compostable but NOT accepted at Community Drop-off bins

Although fine to compost at home, the Community Compost Drop-off program can not accommodate yard wastes due to its limited capacity. These can be brought to Harrisonburg’s Recycling Convenience Center to be used as part of daily cover of the landfill along with crushed glass.
Pet wastes, including almost all cat litters, may be composted by subscribing to Black Bear Composting’s residential service, but NOT accepted at community drop-off bins.
Compostable baby diapers: Dyper brand compostable diapers may be composted by subscribing to Black Bear Composting’s residential service, but NOT accepted at community drop-off bins.
Natural holiday wreaths, garlands, Christmas trees