Our List of Acceptable & Not Acceptable Materials has been Updated (plus a quick word on contamination)

Just a quick heads up: We just updated our List of Acceptable & Not Acceptable Materials, which you can now find at https://www.gbcompost.com/list/.

(Please note: The above link can also be found at the bottom of the homepage of www.GBCompost.com)

PLEASE DELETE AND/OR RECYCLE ANY OLD COPIES OF THE LIST YOU MAY BE USING OR REFERRING TO AND REPLACE THEM WITH THIS ONE.

A VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT BUCKET CONTAMINATION:

Before we summarize the changes that have been made, we would like to use this opportunity to remind all of our subscribers that we do not accept plastic, metal, or glass in our buckets and never have, and that it is our subscribers’ responsibility to remove materials we accept from plastic bags before putting them in their buckets, as well as to remove all stickers, rubber bands, twist ties, tape, staples, etc. from fresh produce before providing it us.

We are bringing this up because in the last few weeks, despite us having not had an enormous number of new subscribers come into the company in the past few months, we have noticed a dramatic uptick in the number of buckets we are picking up which contain contaminants, most notably produce stickers, rubber bands, and non-compostable plastic bags with food inside of them.

We do not know if this has to do with the fact that a few months ago we stopped sending emails to everyone whose buckets we found contamination in, but would like to remind all our subscribers that we still screen the contents of every bucket we receive by hand to identify and remove contaminants, and that when we do find contaminants, we make note of it and whose bucket it was found in, even though we may not send an email about it.

Please know that us no longer (or rarely) sending emails to our subscribers about contamination in our buckets does not mean we no longer care about it or that it isn’t a major problem for us, when we find it.

Contamination is, and always has been, a major concern of ours, as it is for all composters, especially whereas the quality of our compost (and the time it takes us to produce it), depends on the materials we receive being as contaminant-free as possible.

It takes a lot of time and a lot of work for us, as a small, two-person, family-run business to screen the contents of 70+ buckets each week, and we kindly request that all subscribers help us keep contaminants out of their buckets by:

1. Removing all stickers, rubber bands, twist ties, tape, etc. from fresh produce as soon as it is brought home
2. Double-(and triple, if necessary)-checking materials before they’re added to our buckets, to ensure they’re not contaminated with plastic, glass, metal, etc.
3. Not allowing young children or friends/family members who are not familiar with our List of Acceptable & Not Acceptable Materials to add materials to our buckets, without appropriate coaching and/or supervision

Please know that if you put contaminants in your buckets, you’re hurting us, but you’re also hurting yourself (assuming you ever intend to buy compost from us, or earn any through our Waste Reduction Rewards Program) and anyone else who may wish to do so, because the amount of time we have to spend on producing the compost (which includes pulling contaminants out of it), directly relates to the price we charge for it, as well as the quality of it (which is very high, because of how much time we spend screening contaminants out of it).

Bottom line: We alone cannot keep our compost clean. We need your help, because we receive almost all the feedstock for our compost from you. So please, help us (and yourself) by not letting contaminants come anywhere near our buckets, and in return, we will continue providing you the same great service you’ve always received from us, and producing the best compost anywhere within 100 miles of Green Bay.

Thank you in advance for your help with the above! We very much appreciate it.

TO SUMMARIZE THE CHANGES TO OUR LIST:

Now that that’s out of the way, we’d like to go over the changes made to our List of Acceptable & Not Acceptable Materials, which are relatively minor:

• We have added Bread to the Acceptable side of the List as a stand-alone item we accept, because despite our previous Lists stating we accept any grains or grain-based materials, including bread, we have been asked quite often over the past few months whether we accept bread. So hopefully this update clears up any confusion surrounding this.
• We have updated our listing of dead/dying houseplants on the Acceptable side of the List to indicate that we just don’t want them to have been chemically-treated, meaning diseased plants are now okay. Also, we have clarified that it is thick root balls we do not want (which should be removed from plants before placing them in our buckets). Roots in general, as well as root balls that can be easily torn apart or crumbled by hand are completely fine by us (think seed starts, for example).
• We have updated our listing of plain/matte paper and cardboard on the Acceptable side of the list to align with an email we sent to all subscribers on 9/21/22 which stated that we no longer accept junk mail or its contents. In determining whether something is “junk mail” or not, we ask our subscribers to use common sense, and if you’re not sure if what you’re thinking of putting in your bucket is junk mail or not, we humbly request you recycle it instead (and this especially goes for envelopes with plastic windows and/or stamps on them).
• We have updated the Acceptable side of the list to indicate that we still accept pumpkins and gourds, assuming they can fit in our buckets, but have removed “corn stalks” and “straw bales,”because these things can clearly not fit inside our buckets and never should have been on this List (which is not a list of things we accept in general, but rather things we accept in our buckets) to begin with.
• We have updated our listing of soft-shelled crustacean shells on the Acceptable side of the list to indicate that we accept crab legs and lobster tails, as we were recently asked by a subscriber if we would take crab legs and lobster tails from a seafood party they were attending, and realized that this section of the List needed to be more clear.
• We have updated the Not Acceptable side of the List to clarify that we do not want lawn grass or lawn mower clippings, period. It does not matter whether the grass has grown in a subscribers lawn or they found it in their garden; we do not want it, period, because the risk of weed-killer/glyphosate/Round-up contamination with grass is unacceptably high.
• We have updated the Not Acceptable side of the List to clarify that when we say we do not want root balls, it is not, say, seed starts we are referring to or small clumps of roots that can be easily torn apart or crumbled by hand, but rather thick balls of roots like those attached to potted mums. We had to make this change because we continue to receive a lot of questions about root balls. Basically, the rule of thumb is, if you can’t pull the root ball apart with your bare hands, we don’t want, because we also can’t pull them apart.
• We have updated the Not Acceptable side of the List to add “Swiffer” pads as Not Acceptable, in addition to wet wipes and baby wipes, because, for some odd reason we just received a Swiffer pad last week, and for those who do not know, Swiffer pads (and other, similar pads) are made with synthetic fibers (which are something that has been on the Not Acceptable side of our list since Greener Bay Compost started).

If you have any questions or concerns about any of the above changes to our List, or anything else mentioned in this announcement, please let us know by using any of the contact methods available at www.GBCompost.com/Contact.

Until next time, best wishes and happy composting!

Sign-Up for Greener Bay Compost’s 2nd Annual Pumpkin Drive Has Begun!

This year, Greener Bay Compost is proud to host our 2nd Annual Pumpkin Drive event, which will see us pick up and sustainably dispose of pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, and Indian corn by composting them, 100% FREE OF CHARGE, through the first three weekends of November 2022, for anyone residing in Green Bay, Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, De Pere, Hobart, Howard, Ledgeview, or Suamico!

Subscribers to our Residential or Small Business Compost Pickup or Drop-Off Services will receive weight-based credit, under our Waste Reduction Rewards Program, for any and all pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, and Indian corn they provide to us during this event.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR PICKUP OF YOUR PUMPKINS, GOURDS, CORN STALKS, AND INDIAN CORN TODAY!

PLEASE NOTE: We will NOT be picking up any of the above-named items if they contain tea lights or are decorated with paint, marker, glitter, or any other type of chemical or contaminant. Additionally we will NOT be picking up any straw or hay bales, due to how large/bulky they are. Items we do not take can be taken to your local Yard Waste site, as listed below:

• Green Bay Yard Waste information: https://greenbaywi.gov/YardWaste
• Allouez Yard Waste Information: https://www.villageofallouezwi.gov/depts/public-works/yard-waste-and-waste-oil-drop-off-site/
• Ashwaubenon Yard Waste Information: https://ashwaubenon.gov/government/departments/public-works-streets/yard-waste-disposal/
• Bellevue Yard Waste Information: https://www.villageofbellevuewi.gov/departments/public_works/garbage__recycling___yard_waste/yard_waste
• De Pere Yard Waste Information: https://www.deperewi.gov/topic/index.php?topicid=278&structureid=88
• Hobart Yard Waste Information: https://www.hobart-wi.org/public-works
• Howard Yard Waste Information: http://www.villageofhoward.com/174/Yard-Waste-Removal
• Ledgeview Yard Waste Information: https://www.ledgeviewwisconsin.com/departments/public-works/yard-waste/
• Suamico Yard Waste Information: https://www.suamico.org/departments/public_works_engineering/yard_waste_site.php

BENEFITS OF UTILIZING THIS 100% FREE SERVICE:
	Avoid the Inconvenience of Needing to Take Your Pumpkins, Gourds, Corn Stalks, or Indian Corn to your local Yard Waste site		Fast, Friendly, Efficient Service from a Small, Local, Family-Run Business
	Feel Good Knowing Your Fall Decorations Will Become Nutrient-Rich Compost for Local Gardens		Support Us and Our One-of-a-Kind Compost Pickup and Drop-Off Services with Wonderful Sources of Both Nitrogen and Carbon

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UPDATE: Major changes to our policy on waste provided to us outside of our buckets

We are, today, making the following changes to our policies regarding waste provided to us outside of our buckets:

Effective immediately, we will be enforcing a stricter ban on materials provided to us outside of our buckets on Bucket Swap/Compost Pickup days, with the exception of plain/matte pizza boxes, the following list of dry, “high carbon” materials (assuming they can fit inside no more than (2) paper or plastic bags which are no larger than traditional grocery store bags), and any materials we have authorized a subscriber to provide to us outside of their buckets (via a written exception):

1. Plain/matte paper and cardboard items (including, for example, clean or soiled pizza boxes, clean or soiled fast food takeout bags, soiled paper towels and napkins that have not been in contact with chemicals, paper grocery bags, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, egg cartons, newspapers with glossy inserts removed, etc.), with all tape, stickers, staples, and other contaminants removed
2. Fall/autumn leaves (as long as they are not mixed/intermingled with grass/lawn mower clippings, brush, and/or copious amounts of sticks, pinecones, etc.)

As an aside, please note that we still do not accept receipts, as they are made of toxic thermal paper. Going forward, we will also no longer be accepting “junk mail,” including unopened junk mail envelopes and/or their contents, as “junk mail” takes an inordinate amount of time for us to process/sort, compared to the other materials listed above, and pose a far greater risk of contamination to our compost.

Accordingly:

• Receipts should be thrown in the trash.
• “Junk mail” should be recycled.
• Also, please throw any “Snotty” Kleenex/facial tissues (as opposed to paper towels, napkins, etc. soiled with food) in the trash.

But what about dead flowers, corn husks, etc.?

Until recently, we were accepting outside of our buckets materials we considered “dry,” including dead/dead-headed flowers, certain types of garden waste, and corn husks.

Unfortunately, our definitions of “wet” and “dry” have proven to be confusing for our subscribers and have needlessly complicated our policies. Accordingly, and as implied earlier, these materials will only be accepted inside of our buckets from this day forward.

So, what can a subscriber expect, going forward, if they provide material to us outside of our buckets, which should be inside of our buckets?

Should we be provided, outside of our buckets, at any time following this announcement, materials other than those identified above as materials we accept outside of our buckets, we reserve the right to refuse said materials/leave said materials on a subscribers property, without further explanation (and it should be noted that it is our intent to do so).

If, for whatever reason, we decide to take said material from a subscribers property, despite it having been provided to us in what we consider to be an unacceptable manner, our taking of said materials should not be interpreted to mean that we have changed the above-mentioned policy or made an exception to it.

On a related note, and importantly, we will no longer be providing weight-based credit (under our Waste Reduction Rewards Program) relative to materials provided to us in non-compliance with the above-mentioned policy (regardless of whether we take said materials or refuse/leave them on a subscribers property).

Should we take from a subscribers property a bag of what we initially believe to be filled with acceptable, dry, “high carbon” materials, which we later determine to be filled with a mix/combination of acceptable materials and materials we only accept inside of our buckets (for example, a pile of garden waste covered with or obscured by newspaper or Fall leaves), we will, likewise, provide no weight-based credit relative to the contents of said bag.

In a nutshell: From this point on, for a subscriber to receive weight-based credit for the weight of the materials they provide to us, the materials must, first, be considered Acceptable by us (meaning they are found on the Acceptable side of our list of Acceptable and Not Acceptable Materials) and, second, be either 1) provided to us inside of our buckets or 2) provided to us inside of the up to (2) bags of dry, “high carbon” materials we accept outside of our buckets.

This means that while we reserve the right to accept bags outside of our buckets in excess of the (2) bag limit described above (as we have sometimes done in the past, if the space in our pickup vehicles permitted us to do so), we will only be providing weight-based credit for the contents of (2) bags per each Bucket Swap/Compost Pickup we perform.

So, what can a subscriber do if they have more waste than can fit in their bucket(s)?

Should any Residential subscriber have more organic waste they would like to provide us than what they can reasonably fit inside our buckets or the (2) bags mentioned above, and should they wish to receive weight-based credit for said waste, they can either purchase a Special, One-Time Swap from us or subscribe to our Add-A-Bucket option at www.GBCompost.com/Residential.

Similarly, should any Small Business subscriber have more organic waste they would like to provide us than what they can reasonably fit inside our buckets or the (2) bags mentioned above, and should they wish to receive weight-based credit for said waste, they can subscribe to our Add-A-Bucket option at www.GBCompost.com/Commercial.

Please note: There is no limit to how many Special, One-Time Swaps a Residential subscriber can purchase or number of times a Residential or Small Business subscriber can subscribe for an extra bucket from us under our Add-A-Bucket options. Also, it should be noted that the Add-A-Bucket options can be canceled at any time.

What if a subscriber doesn’t want to pay extra for us to take their excess organic waste?

If a subscriber does not wish to pay for a Special, One-Time Swap or an Add-a-Bucket subscription (which, it should be noted, supports us/helps us stay in business, grow, and expand), they have a few other options when it comes to what they can do with their excess organic waste:

Assuming the excess waste is considered yard waste by the subscribers Municipality, the subscriber may be able to take said waste to their local yard waste site, free of charge (please note that most Municipalities consider garden waste/refuse to be yard waste).

• Green Bay Yard Waste information: https://greenbaywi.gov/YardWaste
• Allouez Yard Waste Information: https://www.villageofallouezwi.gov/depts/public-works/yard-waste-and-waste-oil-drop-off-site/
• Ashwaubenon Yard Waste Information: https://ashwaubenon.gov/government/departments/public-works-streets/yard-waste-disposal/
• Bellevue Yard Waste Information: https://www.villageofbellevuewi.gov/departments/public_works/garbage__recycling___yard_waste/yard_waste
• De Pere Yard Waste Information: https://www.deperewi.gov/topic/index.php?topicid=278&structureid=88
• Hobart Yard Waste Information: https://www.hobart-wi.org/public-works
• Howard Yard Waste Information: http://www.villageofhoward.com/174/Yard-Waste-Removal
• Ledgeview Yard Waste Information: https://www.ledgeviewwisconsin.com/departments/public-works/yard-waste/
• Suamico Yard Waste Information: https://www.suamico.org/departments/public_works_engineering/yard_waste_site.php

Assuming the excess waste is food waste, the subscriber may save the waste for a later bucket by freezing it (such as in a gallon-sized freezer bag), or, if absolutely necessary, dispose of it in the trash (although this is something we do not support doing, for obvious reasons)

Please note: It has been illegal in the State of Wisconsin, since 1993, to dispose of yard waste (including pumpkins, potted plants, etc.) in the trash. For more information, visit https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/287/II/07#:~:text=Beginning%20on%20January%203%2C%201993%2C%20no%20person%20may,waste%20facility%20in%20this%20state.%20%283%29%20Waste%20tires.

If you have any questions or concerns about the above-mentioned policy changes, you may contact us using any of the contact methods available at www.GBCompost.com/Contact.

Until next time, best wishes and happy composting!

New Small Business Compost Pickup Service Just Launched!

Greener Bay Compost is excited to announce that we have just launched a new Small Business Compost Pickup Service to complement our Residential Compost Pickup and Drop-Off Services and provide composting options to businesses that can be served with five gallon buckets and which generally have 50 or fewer employees.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OR SIGN UP FOR THIS NEW SERVICE, CLICK HERE: https://www.gbcompost.com/commercial/

If you have any questions or concerns about this new Service, or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact us using any of the contact methods available at www.GBCompost.com/Contact.

Thank you, as always, for helping us make Green Bay a little greener every day!

New Residential Compost Drop-Off Service Just Launched!

Greener Bay Compost is excited to announce that we have just launched a new Residential Compost Drop-Off Service to complement our longstanding Residential Compost Pickup Service and provide composting options to members of our community who we were previously unable to serve, namely apartment-dwellers and individuals/families who may live just outside of our Residential Compost Pickup Service‘s service area.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OR SIGN UP FOR THIS NEW SERVICE, CLICK HERE: https://www.gbcompost.com/residential/

If you have any questions or concerns about this new Service, or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact us using any of the contact methods available at www.GBCompost.com/Contact.

Thank you, as always, for helping us make Green Bay a little greener every day!

UPDATE: We are discontinuing our 6-Months-Paid-in-Full plans, in favor of Month-to-Month plans only

Effective 8/1/2022, we will be discontinuing our Every-Other-Week, 6-Months-Paid-in-Full version of our Residential Compost Pickup Service and transitioning any subscriber who is on said plan, as of their next renewal date, to our Every-Other-Week, Month-to-Month plan, which is $15.00/month, and, as the name of the plan suggests, billed monthly.

We are making this transition for several reasons:

• To further simplify our business model
• To provide our subscribers more flexibility, in terms of the ease with which they can come and go from our Service (if need be, or perhaps seasonally)
• To help ensure the financial feasibility of our Services

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause anyone. Rest assured, however, that other than our subscription periods being shorter, this transition will change nothing about the high quality of Service you receive from us.

Please note: This transition will, necessarily, result in the elimination of the 10% discount that was built into our 6-Months-Paid-in-Full plan pricing, being that that plan will no longer exist.

If you have any questions or concerns about this transition, or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact us using any of the contact methods available at www.GBCompost.com/Contact.

Thank you, as always, for your support of us and our mission to make Green Bay a little greener every day! Words cannot express how much we appreciate you.

Until next time, best wishes and happy composting!

Greener Bay Compost named BioBag’s Community Hero for July 2022

Greener Bay Compost is proud to announce that we have been named BioBag‘s Community Hero for the month of July 2022!

To read the interview BioBag did with our Founder and CEO, Cory Groshek, on their blog as part of their monthly Community Heroes series, click here: https://www.biobagusa.com/2022/07/community-hero-greener-bay/?fbclid=IwAR1QLLrcVEgXFgmSrjBC-Yitis8m0mj8poc3I84Lu_PhoQSIkvHZoq2OOjg

Introducing, our new Partner Program, which pays pays CASH for referrals!

We would like to introduce you to (and invite you to register for) our newest program, the Greener Bay Compost Partner Program, which has replaced our old Referral Rewards Program, with immediate effect.

Help us make Green Bay a little greener every day and GET PAID for referring new Residential Compost Pickup Service subscribers to us!

• Both Subscribers & Non-Subscribers Welcome!
• Open to Individuals, Groups, & Organizations!
• NO LIMIT on the Number of Subscribers You Can Refer!
• NO LIMIT on the Amount of Money You Can Earn!
  

PLEASE NOTE: To be accepted into the Partner Program, you must complete the Partner Program registration form at www.GBCompost.com/Partner, be an individual, group, or organization/business that lives, works, or has a physical presence in or near our current Residential Compost Pickup Service Area (which includes all of Green Bay, plus Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, De Pere, Hobart, Howard, Ledgeview, and Suamico), and have a PayPal account.

THIS PROGRAM IS A GREAT FIT FOR:

• Anyone who wants to support our mission to divert as much would-be organic waste from landfill as possible
• Stay-at-home Moms and Dads or Work-from-Home enthusiasts who would like to earn some extra cash, with little to no effort
• Businesses with Sustainability missions, “Go Green” goals, or Climate-Change-related policies of their own
  
• Organizations/businesses that receive substantial foot traffic, such as restaurants, bars, coffee shops, retail stores, etc.
• Social Media Influencers who have many fans/followers residing within or near our Residential Compost Pickup Service Area
  

UPON YOUR ACCEPTANCE INTO THE PROGRAM, YOU WILL RECEIVE:

A Welcome Email, confirming you have been accepted into the program, which will contain:

A Referral Code, unique to you, which, when used by someone to sign up for our Residential Compost Pickup Service, will ensure you receive credit for your referral, as well as entitle whomever you’ve referred to $1 off their initial subscription.

An 8.5″ x 11″ Partner Program Flyer, a link to which will be found inside the email, which you can print, write your unique Referral Code on, and post anywhere you’d like, to help increase your referrals.

$1 for Each New Month-to-Month Plan Subscriber you Refer, payable on the first Monday of each month, assuming the balance we owe you is at least $5.00.

$5 for Each New 6-Months-Paid-in-Full Plan Subscriber you Refer, payable on the first Monday of each month, assuming the balance we owe you is at least $5.00.

TO REGISTER FOR THE PARTNER PROGRAM TODAY, VISIT: www.GBCompost.com/Partner

If you have any questions, let us know by Contacting Us at www.GBCompost.com/Contact.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: We are Re-Launching our Waste Reduction Rewards Program

We have a very big announcement to make, which we are quite sure you (and the rest of our subscribers) will be very excited to hear, which is that:

Effective immediately, and backdated to 6/1/22, we are re-launching and revamping what used to be known as our Loyalty and Waste Reduction Rewards Program as our new Waste Reduction Rewards Program.

As you may be aware, we announced on 5/15/22 that our Loyalty and Waste Reduction Rewards program was being replaced with our new Compost Discount Program, for a number of reasons.

Since we made that announcement, however, we have received some very valuable feedback from our subscribers indicating how much they loved that they could earn compost from us through that program, being that many of them have gardens (or have friends or family members with gardens), and that their ability to earn said compost was a major reason for why they signed up with us.

Accordingly, we have made the decision to re-launch this program (and will be updating our website, at www.GBCompost.com/Rewards, to reflect this as soon as possible), with some modifications, to make sure our subscribers have some “skin in the game,” so to say, when it comes to the compost we produce from their would-be organic waste, plus an opportunity to get their hands on some of our amazing, premium compost, even if they choose to never purchase any from us.

(On that note, we have begun taking Compost Requests from anyone–subscribers and non-subscribers alike–who may be interested in purchasing compost from us. If this is something you are interested in, you may make a request at https://www.gbcompost.com/compost-request-form/).

Please note that because we have backdated this new program to 6/1/22, all the buckets we picked up from our subscribers today (Sunday, 6/5/22) will be taken into consideration when calculating rewards under this new program.

The new Waste Reduction Rewards Program will work as follows:

• All of our Curbside Compost Pickup Service subscribers will start with a “clean slate” with regard to the weight of the materials they’ve provided to us, dating back to 6/1/22 (meaning everyone will start at the same number, which is 0.00 pounds).
• Every pound of Acceptable material we receive from our Curbside Compost Pickup Service subscribers from 6/1/22 forward will be kept track of by us, via the Greener Bay Compost Leaderboard (which is undergoing major updates over the next few days to reflect both this new Waste Reduction Rewards Program and our Compost Discount Program)
• The only weight deductions we will be making in calculating the above poundage will be made based on the actual weight of any Not Acceptable materials we may receive, or the weight of an entire buckets contents, for in the rare instance of total-bucket contamination (such as if we receive buckets containing large amounts of non-naturally-occurring liquids, lawn mower/grass clippings, etc.)
• Once a Curbside Compost Pickup Service subscriber reaches 500 pounds of Acceptable material on the Leaderboard, the subscriber will be eligible to claim a (1) cubic foot bag of compost from us, any time between May 1st and November 30th of the year (which is the time of year when our compost is not frozen), and we will work with the subscriber to arrange for pickup/drop-off of this earned compost.
• This product is the same product we are now taking requests for at https://www.gbcompost.com/compost-request-form/, which retails for $39.99/bag (not taking into account any discounts our subscribers may earn under our Compost Discount Program)

Important to note: For someone to claim compost under this new Waste Reduction Rewards program, or a discount under our Compost Discount Program, they must be an active subscriber to one of our Curbside Compost Pickup Service plans, with no payments for such plans past due/in arrears.

If you have any questions or concerns about this new Rewards Program, or anything else at all, please do not hesitate to Contact Us at www.GBCompost.com/Contact. We are always here to help!
 

IMPORTANT: Our Acceptable and Not Acceptable Materials List has been Updated

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.