Are You Ready for Curbside Composting?

Things we are used to throwing in the trash now have the potential to now be carried away, avoiding the waste stream, because of a citywide curbside composting program.Â This would allow for items such as pizza boxes, Kleenex, papertowels, and the like, to be collected curbside for items such as pizza boxes, Kleenex, papertowels, and the like, to be collected curbside on a weekly basis--just as the curbside recycling program currently exists throughout the City of Saint Paul.

This opportunity is also important because most of the trash in the area gets taken to the Newport facility and burned, which is quite expensive and can often clog their system, making their process much less efficent.

Dear Saint Paul Resident,

If you feel passionate about curbside composting in Saint Paul, please take a minute to call or write your city councilperson (if you live in Mac-Groveland, your city councilperson is Pat Harris).

Did you know that...?

1) Curbside composting is already being done in cities like San Francisco, Minneapolis (Linden Hills), Boulder, Wayzata and Toronto?

2) Thirty percent (30%) of our waste is compostable?

3) Eureka Recycling is prepared to begin curbside composting with critter-proof containers in Mac-Groveland in June 2009 and citywide as soon as possible thereafter?

Examples (from the Wayzata curbside composting website)

The following items would be accepted for composting:

All food scraps--including meat & bones
Soiled & non-recyclable paper products
Napkins, paper towels, tissues
Paper plates, cups, food containers, pizza boxes
Waxed cardboard
Coffee filters and tea bags
Other compostable Items
Paper vacum bags
Dryer lint
House plants

The following items are NOT accepted for composting:

All plastics
Utensils
Baggies, wrapping film, bags
Cups and containers
Form trays, plates, bowls, packing material, etc.
Condiment packets, chip bags, candy wrappers
Recyclabe materials
Bottles
Cans and scrap metal

Curbside compost was supposed to be an item on the city council's agenda in July of 2008, but was taken off the agenda before that meeting. We would like to encourage the city council to put this issue back on their agenda in 2009.

If you have an opinion about curbside composting, we encourage you to contact councilmember Pat Harris (his information is listed below). In early 2009, we will also be encouraging neighbors to contact the mayor and other city council members.

When you call your city council member: