Compost Guide
Missoula has a city-owned industrial compost facility, allowing us to safely collect more material including meat, dairy, small bones, and weeds.
Quick Lookup
You can compost anything that is living or was once alive.
In Missoula, we have access to our city-owned industrial compost facility, Garden City Compost. Using technology we can compost a wider variety of materials safely due to temperature and time controls. We accept products that could be problematic if using backyard methods including meat, dairy, small bones, and weeds.
You cannot compost anything that might release toxins into the environment such as chemical-soaked rags, plastics, heavy inks, and pet waste.
Food
ACCEPTED COMPOST
Veggies, Fruits, and Herbs
Every part and type of fruit and vegetable is accepted. Including seeds of any size, stalks, stems, husks, peels, etc. Please remove any produce stickers and rubber bands.
Nuts and Other Protein
All types of nuts and alternative proteins are accepted; including nut shells.
Eggs
Eggs and egg shells are compostable.
Grains and Yeast
All types of grains are accepted including fermentations.
Tea
All kinds of tea are compostable. However, tea bags can be tricky. The staple and tag are not a problem, but some bags are made with plastic. Try to buy plastic-free tea bags to compost!
Are friends at Yerba Montana have all compostable packaging, and great tea!
Other popular brands compostable brands include Stash, Celestial, Traditional Medicinals, Art of Tea, and Begelow.
Coffee
Whole bean or ground coffee makes great compost. Filters are also acceptable.
Sweets
All sweets are accepted. No fryer grease.
Meats
All types of meat are acceptable. While not recommended for backyard composting, sustained heat produced from industrial composting kills all pathogens and bad bacteria that may otherwise form.
Dairy
All types of dairy are acceptable. While not recommended for backyard composting, sustained heat produced from industrial composting kills all pathogens and bad bacteria that may otherwise form.
Moldy or Spoiled Items
Your item has already started to compost!
Napkins
Napkins and other paper products are compostable. NOT heavily dyed. Brown and white with some pattern is acceptable.
Certified Compostables
BPI and TUV-certified servingware is compostable. Identify with green stripe around products and other compostable labeling. See “Compostables” to learn more.
DO NOT COMPOST
NO Produce Stickers
Fruit stickers are not compostable. They are stickers… which are plastic. Come on fruit people!
NO Fryer Oil
Fryer oil is not acceptable. Things that have been fried such as french fries and doughnuts can be composted.
NO Wax
No products coated in wax such as cheese casing. Light coatings on products such as cucumbers and apples are acceptable if they have gone bad before consumption.
Containers and Servingware
ACCEPTED COMPOST
Pizza Boxes
Remember clean cardboard should be recycled. Greasy cardboard should be composted.
100 % Natural Material
Egg cartons, drink trays, and other natural containers can be composted. Remove labeling.
Napkins and Paper Towels
Anything that is 100% paper can be composted. Do NOT compost if soaked in chemicals.
ACCEPTED COMPOST CERTIFICATIONS
BPI Certification
BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) certified compostable is the gold standard for compostable disposables.
The BPI Certification process is rigorous and ensures that items can be safely cycled back into the soil at a commercial composting facility. BPI tests through ASTM standards and applies additional restrictions on carcinogens and fluorinated chemicals.
TUV Certification
TUV Certification is the European compost certification. You may see both “INDUSTRIAL” and “HOME”, we accept both.
This label guarantees safe biodegradability in an industrial composting plant. This applies to all of their components, inks and additives.
Identifying Compostables
There are a few identifiable markers on this cup:
Eco-Products is a trusted common eco-friendly brand.
“Compostable” is written along the right side.
A green stripe marks the circumference.
BPI Certification can be seen on the far side.
The only marking that guarantees compostability is the BPI symbol in the back. TUV and BPI are accepted.
DO NOT COMPOST
NO Petroleum Plastic
#1-6 plastics are not compostable. #7 Plastics are only compostable with a certification.
No Wrappers
NO Waxed Cardboard
Wax interferes with compostability of cardboard
NOT COMPOST CERTIFIED
These symbols can be greenwashing, but most of the time they portray other environmentally friendly qualities. Some may be responsibly sourced or made with natural materials. This is good, but doesn’t make them safe for compost.
Avoid anything with vague or non-specific wording.
If not paired with either a BPI or TUV certification - do not compost.
Vetting Non-Compostables
There are a few identifiable markers on this cup:
Good For Us - The logo looks renewable.
“Eco-friendly” and “Biodegradable” is written.
A blue stripe marks the circumference. A common color for recycling.
“Made from recycled material”
This cup is simply responsibly produced and recyclable. NOT compostable. No certifications.
Office Supplies
ACCEPTED COMPOST
Paper
Note: Paper is a recyclable product. If you can recycle, please do. Using a product in its original form for as long as it can is a waste reduction best practice.
Printer paper, newspaper, sticky notes, bills, and other mail.
Paper can be composted if it is NOT heavily saturated in ink or gloss.
Envelopes: remove mail stickers and plastic windows.
Newspaper: Do NOT compost magazines.
Coffee
Whole bean or ground coffee makes great compost. Filters are also acceptable.
Tea
All kinds of tea are compostable. However, tea bags can be tricky. Try to buy plastic-free tea bags to compost!
Other popular brands compostable brands include Stash, Celestial, Traditional Medicinals, Art of Tea, and Begelow.
Food Scraps
All food scraps are compostable. See “Food” for more guidance,
Certified Compostables
The Loose Caboose, Five on Black, Market on Front, Tandem Bakery, and Green Source, are among several businesses around town with compostable serving ware.
BPI and TUV-certified serving ware is compostable. Identify with green stripe around products and other compostable labeling. See “Compostables” to learn more.
DO NOT COMPOST
NO Glossy Paper
No magazines or glossy paper.
Plastic-coated paper, such as bisphenol A (BPA) in receipts, interfere with the composting.
NO Stamps or Plastic
No stamps, address stickers, or plastic envelope windows.
NO Excess Ink
No heavily inked paper. If paper is more than 50% covered in ink, do not compost.
Lawn & Garden
ACCEPTED COMPOST
Cut Grass
Fallen Fruit
Deadhead Flowers
Garden Material
Leaves
Unsprayed Weeds
Pine Needles/Cones
Tree Limbs
Unpainted Pallet Boards
DO NOT COMPOST
NO Sod
NO Dirt
NO Pet Waste
NO Ash
NO Treated Lumber
NO Synthetic Fertilizer
Celebrations
ACCEPTED COMPOST
Jack O’Lanterns
Christmas Trees
Raffia, Jute, & Burlap
Natural Wrapping Paper
Cut Flowers
Dried Flowers and Foliage
DO NOT COMPOST
NO Glossy Paper
NO Sparkles
NO Ribbon
NO Tape
NO Glue
NO Stickers
