We have just updated our list of Acceptable & Not Acceptable Materials for Inclusion in Our Compost Buckets, which can be viewed on this website at https://www.gbcompost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Greener-Bay-Compost-Acceptable-and-Not-Acceptable-Materials-List.pdf, or through our link at the bottom of our homepage.

The changes that have been made can be summarized as follows:

• We have updated our list to indicate that we will now accept any and all products labeled as either BPI-Certified Compostable (with BPI being an American organization) or TUV-Certified Compostable (with TUV being a European organization). To find items certified as such, or to find out if items you buy or are considering purchasing are certified as such, please visit https://bpiworld.org/Find-Certified-Products or https://www.tuv-at.be/green-marks/certified-products/.
• We have updated our wording on our acceptance of ashes from untreated, natural wood to be more clear with regard to the fact that we do not accept charcoal.
• We have updated our wording on our acceptance of coffee grounds to indicate that we also accept coffee beans, in addition to the paper coffee filters we have always accepted.
• We have updated our wording on our acceptance of dead/dying houseplants to indicate that we no longer accept root balls (and would thus like those removed), which we recommend taking to one’s local yard waste site (or leaving on ones curb, for pickup by one’s municipality, if/when such pickup services are available).
• We have updated our wording on our acceptance of eggs to be clear that we do accept Easter eggs.
• We have added flowers to the list of materials we clearly accept, with the caveat that we only want them if they have not been painted/dyed with non-food-safe paints or dyes or coated/covered in glitter.
• We have updated our wording on our acceptance of fruits and vegetables to be more clear that we accept whole produce, and not just scraps.
• We have updated our wording on our acceptance of grains (such as corn, rice, quinoa, etc.) to be clear that we do also accept grain-based products, such as breads, cereals, chips, crackers, pastas, etc.
• We have added “Napkins, paper towels, etc. soiled with food” to our list of Acceptable Materials, with an emphasis on them being soiled with food.
• We have updated our wording on our acceptance of nuts, seeds, and their shells to state that in addition to black walnut, we now no longer accept pecans or their shells, as they contain juglone (which inhibits the growth of other plants), just as black walnut does.
• We have updated our wording on our acceptance of paper or cotton tea bag tags to be more clear that we only accept the tags if they are plain/matte, as opposed to shiny/glossy, as we have been receiving many shiny/glossy tea bag tags lately.
• We have added vinegar to our list of Not Acceptable materials, where it is now lumped in with alcohol, such as beer, wine, hard liquor, etc.
• We have added ceramics (such as terracotta pot pieces) to our list of Not Acceptable materials.
• We have added root balls (such as those from dead, potted houseplants) to our list of Not Acceptable materials.
• While we have always found shiny/glossy paper and cardboard to be not acceptable, we have now added emphasis with regard to our non-acceptance of “gift wrap” paper & food boxes lined with “waterproof” material).
• We have added “snotty” tissues or Kleenex (for health/safety reasons) to our list of Not Acceptable materials.
• While we have always found them to be not acceptable, we have now officially added wax, “baking”/parchment, or “non-stick” paper to the Not Acceptable side of our list, to provide more clarity to our subscribers, whereas we have been receiving quite a bit of this material over the past several months.
• While we have always found them to be not acceptable, on the grounds that chemicals, such as those commonly found in wet wipes, are harmful to compost, we have now officially added wet wipes / baby wipes to the Not Acceptable side of our list, to provide more clarity to our subscribers, whereas we have seen a large influx of these wipes in the buckets we have picked up over the past few months.

In addition to the above updates, we have made many more minor updates to the wording of our list, to eliminate or reduce redundancies and provide clarity to our subscribers and the general public.

Please note that with regard to some of the new additions to the Not Acceptable side of our list, including ceramics, root balls, and “snotty” tissues and Kleenex, we will not be penalizing anyone for the inclusion of these materials in any buckets we pick up prior to 6/19/2022.

That said, if any of these materials are found in buckets picked up on or after 6/19/22 or later, the buckets they are found in will be considered “dirty,” as per our Compost Discount Program, which we made an announcement about on 5/15/2022, and which you can read at: https://www.gbcompost.com/2022/05/15/effective-6-1-22-our-loyalty-and-waste-reduction-rewards-program-will-be-replaced-with-a-new-compost-discount-program/

If you have any questions or concerns about any of these updates/changes to our list of Acceptable & Not Acceptable Materials, please let us know by using any of the contact methods available at www.GBCompost.com/Contact.