Food Scraps

How do I start food scrap collection service at our business?
Food scrap collection service is available to all qualified businesses at no additional cost. To sign up, complete our online application. Contact the Recycling Hotline for more information at (425) 587-3812 or recycle@kirklandwa.gov.

What can I put in our business' gray cart?
All compostable items should go in your gray cart. You can compost:

• Food scraps (including meat, bones, shells, and dairy)
• Food-soiled paper like pizza boxes and paper napkins
• Compostable bags like BioBags or kraft paper bags
• Coffee grounds and paper filters

Download our food scrap poster (pdf, 500kb). Request a laminated copy for your business at recycle@kirklandwa.gov.

Choose Cedar Grove Approved Compostable Products
Use Cedar Grove approved compostable plates, cups, and cutlery – it’s important the item says compostable (not biodegradable, earth-friendly, plant-based, etc). No plastic is allowed in the compost.

Why should our business compost food scraps?

• Composting helps the climate by keeping food out of the landfill. Food in the landfill breaks down very slowly in a process that emits methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Landfills are the third largest source of human-related methane emissions in the US. (Note: methane is captured at King County's landfill.)
• The process produces compost, a nutrient-rich fertilizer. By composting your business' food waste, you "complete the loop" and return those nutrients to the soil. Compost is also used in stormwater projects to clean runoff to protect our waterways.

What happens to the food scraps our business composts?
All the material in your gray cart goes to Cedar Grove composting facilities in Everett or Maple Valley, where it's turned into compost in a matter of weeks.