Compost Guide
Missoula has a city-owned industrial compost facility, Garden City Compost. This allows us to 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
Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs
Every part and type of fruit and vegetable is accepted. Please remove any produce stickers and rubber bands.
Nuts and Alternative Protein
All types of nuts and proteins are accepted; including nut shells.
Eggs
Eggs and egg shells are compostable.
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.
Coffee and Tea
Coffee and tea make great compost. Coffee filters and tea bags are compostable as long as they are not made with synthetic fibers.
Grains and Yeast
All types of grains are accepted including fermentations.
Sweets
All sweets are accepted. No fryer grease.
Moldy or Spoiled Items
Your item has already started to compost!
NO Produce Stickers
NO Fryer Oil
NO Wax
Containers and Servingware
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.
COMPOST CERTIFIED
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 applys 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.
NO Petroleum-based plastics
#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
Other Eco Symbols
These symbols can be greenwashing, but most the time they are just simplifying other environmental 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.
Office Supplies
Throw it in the Green Bin
Printer Paper, Newspaper, Sticky Notes
Bills, plain junk mail, and other non-glossy paper
Envelopes - with plastic address window removed
Coffee Grounds
Lunch Scraps
If in Doubt, Keep it Out
Glossy paper - Magazines, product catalogs, photographs
Wax coated cardboard
Paper saturated with colored ink/sharpie
Lawn & Garden
Throw it in the Green Bin
Grass clippings
Fallen fruits and vegetables
Deer chomped fruits and vegetables
Leaves
Dead plants
Hedge trimmings
Sod chunks
Deadhead flowers
Unsprayed weeds
Pine needles/cones
Pallet Boards
If in Doubt, Keep it Out
Pet waste / Any manure
Ash
Treated Lumber
Synthetic fertilizer
Pesticide or herbicide treated grass
Cigarette Butts
Celebrations
Throw it in the Green Bin
Cut floral arrangements
Jack 0’ Lanterns / Decorative gourds
Raffia
Crepe paper streamers
Wrapping paper - not coated in plastic
Christmas trees
Natural wreath and garlands - wires removed
Cannabis products
If in Doubt, Keep it Out
Glossy or wax coated wrapping paper
Ribbon
