Home › Forums › WSB Reader Recommendations › Food waste/yard waste bin question
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February 28, 2008 at 7:33 pm #586469
JenVMemberHi all- my landlord got us a yard waste container and would like us to start putting food waste in it. Question: if I put the food waste into a paper grocery bag, can I just throw the whole bag in? Is there anything I should avoid throwing away? I would like to avoid having to purchase any containment systems and was hoping I could just use an old cat litter container and a paper bag. Any suggestions from old hands at this would be much appreciated!
February 28, 2008 at 7:49 pm #616226
swimcatMemberI spent $12 on a mini-trashcan that has a removable pail inside. I bought it at whatever container/storage store is at U.Village (Storables??). I leave it near the kitchen trashcan, and when it gets full or starts to smell, I take out the pail and dump the contents into the yard waste bin. I give the pail a rinse with water from the backyard hose and bring it back inside. It makes the whole process so easy there is is no good excuse for me to toss things in the trash if they can go in yard waste.
February 28, 2008 at 8:21 pm #616227
SueParticipantYes, you can drop the entire paper bag in there. Here’s the link to the page with the info on what can and cannot be put into the bin: http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Yard/Yard_Waste_Collection/AcceptableYardFoodWaste/index.htm
We have a small garbage container in our kitchen that holds one of the small lunch-bag paper bags. That way we never have too much food waste in our kitchen to smart to smell, but it’s easy to just grab the bag and go outside with it.
February 28, 2008 at 8:25 pm #616228
herongrrrlParticipantYes, you can throw the whole bag in. Anything that is just plain paper (no wax or plastic coating) can be used to collect food waste and put directly into the container. I use paper grocery bags or paper flour sacks (I do a lot of baking) with a plastic tub underneath them to collect peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, etc. and dump the tub into the bin when the bag gets full. Your cat litter container/paper bag idea sounds perfect.
Solid Waste used to recommend milk cartons for collecting food waste but they no longer do because they take so long to break down in the compost. The cardboard food-takeout boxes that might seem like another good option are plastic coated, so they’re also a no-go.
Pizza boxes can go in, as long as they aren’t too greasy, but they aren’t as convenient for storing food waste.
February 28, 2008 at 11:06 pm #616229
JenVMemberThanks All! I have one other question for people who have been doing this: did you notice an increase in bees/wasps around the yard waste container?
February 29, 2008 at 12:06 am #616230
swimcatMemberI haven’t noticed any extra bees near our container, but it’s been cold for so long that that could be why. I have noticed that our yard waste container STINKS now though. We are so lucky that recycling is so easy here; when I lived in Arizona years ago it nearly killed me that there was only trash pick-up for residents.
February 29, 2008 at 12:24 am #616231
WSMomParticipantWe have had really good luck creating yummy garden compost with our kitchen waste and leaf/lawn clippings. We just throw everything in a compost bin and stir it up occasionally. My tomatoes are the envy of the neighborhood and I attribute my success to the compost. You can get a composter from the city for just $25.00. I now have three bins going each with lots of worms helping to break down the greens & browns into good soil.
February 29, 2008 at 12:26 am #616232
WSMomParticipantOh, also, there is no bad smell ever coming from my composter. Make sure no grease or meat ends up in your container and use a pitchfork to stir it up occasionally. As long as you keep the lid on it I’ve never noticed any bees hanging around. Bees seem to like barbequed meat best!
March 3, 2008 at 6:04 pm #616233
KenParticipantThis is yellow jacket trap time. If you buy traps or bait your existing traps with the liquid bait and cotton ball during March, you can cut way down on the number of yellow jackets that show up in the summer. There may not seem to be any around now, but this is when the queens emerge from underground and start a new nest.
Trap a queen and you reduce hundreds of potential yellow jackets in the area.
At this time of year, they are looking for protein, later in the summer they will be attracted to sugar. So the packaged liquid bait is good in spring as well as turkey bologna while it is cool.
March 3, 2008 at 6:55 pm #616234
flowerpetalMemberPaper bags are better used when these are placed in paper recycle. Use a kitchen cannister type of container which has a tight fitting lid and place it under your sink. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to compost food scraps in Seattle. In our household we try to make sure that the first thing in the compost bin outside is not food scraps. Raked up leaves, grass clippings etc on the bottom help to keep the container cleaner. If our house container gets to ucky, we hose it out and poor the dirty water in the garden for the benefit of the plants. The same can be done with the outdoor container too. We have never had a problem with foul smells; wasps or other creatures. And it feels good to be doing this!
March 4, 2008 at 12:22 am #616235
JoBParticipantken.. thanks for the tip about wasp traps… i looked at them a couple of weeks ago and passed. i will go back to get some and put them out immediately.
anyone composting… make sure compost bins are well covered if you live near raccoon habitat or you might be inviting more guests to your yard than you want. i learned that some years ago.. the hard way…
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