Environmental Moment: "Do You Have Compost Confusion or Recycling Angst?"

DO YOU HAVE COMPOST CONFUSION

OR RECYCLING ANGST?

By Barbara Roberts, St. Andrew Green Team

I find it quite frustrating when I talk with friends about what can be recycled or composted. It seems as if everyone has a different list of what goes where, and agreement is hard to find.

The rules for recycling and composting can be different depending on which recycling company services your address. If you live within the Sonoma city limits, your rules are slightly different from those living outside the city limits. So to help quell those friendly arguments, here are lists to which you can refer and know you are doing it right!

City of Sonoma

https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/sonomaca/uploads/2021/06/Sort-It-Sonoma-Flyer-FINAL.pdf

Sonoma proper uses Sonoma Garbage Collectors in El Verano, CA. The link above will take you to the PDF that tells you exactly what can go in which bin.

Outside Sonoma City limits

If you live outside Sonoma City Limits, Recology is your waste collector. The following links show you what you can compost and recycle.

https://www.recology.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/RSM-Compost-List-Poster.jpg#main

The biggest differences between City of Sonoma and Recology revolve around the following:

Compostable green bags in green compost bin

Sonoma - YES - (ONLY IF THEY ARE CERTIFIED compostable; check the box. Biobags and World Centric are certified brands.) If not certified, do NOT put in the compost bin.

Recology - NO - Food waste must be put in compost directly, no plastic bags of any type. Paper bags are OK if they don’t have a liner.

Compostable “paper” plates, cups, cutlery

Sonoma - YES - Only if they are certified as compostable (Very few brands are certified for residential composting because they all have some type of minimal coating.)

Recology - NO

The best idea is to simply throw disposable plates, cups etc., in the trash.

Recycling in a plastic bag in the blue bin

Sonoma - NO

Recology - NO

All recycling must be put in blue bins LOOSE, not contained in anything, and absolutely do not use a plastic trash bag for your recycling. Place all recyclables LOOSE - The easiest way to comply is to follow this basic rule no matter where you live:

NO PLASTIC BAGS IN COMPOST OR RECYCLING. Plastic bags only go in the garbage bins.