Senate Bill 1383 has finally come into effect, and it’s important to use your green cart as much as you possibly can. You may find that some of the items you’ve always thought were garbage can actually be composted! Windsor’s compostables are taken to Cold Creek Compost in Ukiah, California. Here’s an exhaustive list of what materials Cold Creek accepts and turns into natural fertilizers and soil amendments:

  • Food Materials

    • Fruits and vegetables (including rinds, peels, pits, and shells)

    • Bread, grains, rice, and pasta

    • Coffee grounds and tea leaves

    • Dairy products

    • Leftover and spoiled food (packaging removed)

    • Meat (including bones)

    • Seafood (including shellfish and shells)

  • Green Materials

    • All plant debris (landscape pruning, flowers, leaves, weeds)
    • Tree trimmings (including branches, stumps and trunks)*

    *Make sure fragments are small enough that the lid can close completely

  • Soiled Paper Products

    • Greasy pizza boxes and paper bags
    • Paper coffee filters and tea bags
    • Paper napkins and paper towels
    • Paper plates (non-coated)*
    • Paper take-out boxes and containers (non-coated)

    *An easy way to determine if plates or containers are coated is if they are shiny or “grease resistant”. This normally means there is a coating of either plastic or wax, which cannot be composted.

  • Other Materials

    • Cooking grease (small amounts soaked up with paper towel)
    • Cotton balls and cotton swabs with paper sticks
    • Hair (non-synthetic and non-colored)
    • Wood ashes (cold)
    • Wood chips
    • Wood materials: small pieces of clean wood/sawdust (no plywood, painted/stained/treated wood)
    • Wooden chopsticks, stirrers, and toothpicks

The following is a list of items that are not allowed in the green cart:

  • Aluminum foil or trays
  • Biodegradable or compostable plastics
  • Carpet
  • Ceramic dishware or glassware
  • Concrete or rocks
  • Diapers
  • Flower pots or trays
  • Foil or plastic-backed plastic
  • Garbage
  • Glass
  • Household hazardous waste
  • Insulation
  • Medical waste including needles and sharps
  • Metal
  • Parchment/wax paper
  • Plastic products including bags, bottles, containers, and wrap
  • Recyclables
  • Styrofoam
  • Wood (plywood, press board, painted/stained/treated wood)