Hi Everyone!
As many of you know, I’ve recently (does 3 months still count?) moved in with my boyfriend Ittai. He loves to cook and I love to go out to eat. That being said, the latter doesn’t really do wonders on my bank account so we’ve been trying to up our ante when it comes to making food at home – ie. cooking.
It’s been a really amazing experience working toward something together and then seeing (and eating!) the final result. It’s awesome to learn the nuances of cutting, slicing, dicing and composting. That’s right, y’all – composting.
Living in San Francisco has opened my eyes to a lot of things like reusable bags and being hyperaware of how I dispose of my everyday items – this includes the food Ittai and I make! Today, I’ve partnered with SF Environment’s Real Foodies Compost to share some quick and easy tips on composting – it’s good for the planet and honestly, it’s super simple!
Living in a small apartment in San Francisco, space is limited. Luckily, you don’t need a huge bin to compost! We found a small and inexpensive pail at Target and have it under our sink so it’s super handy when we’re making dinner.
Now, what in the world can you compost and can’t compost?
CAN
- All food scraps and spoiled leftovers
- Meat bones and seafood shells
- Oily pizza boxes and paper takeout containers
- Small parts of plants
- Waxy paper
- Coffee grounds and paper filter
- Cotton balls/cotton swabs with paper stems
- Small pieces of wood including chopsticks, coffee stirrers, toothpicks, clean (untreated) wood
- PRO TIP: Many delivery places in San Francisco have compostable receptacles so make sure to check the labels when you’re finished with takeout!
CAN’T
- Aluminum foil or trays (foil goes into recycling even if dirty)
- Liquid dairy products (down the drain)
- Clean cardboard or paper (recycle)
- Cooking oil (must be taken to a grocery store or other take back location)
- Glass (recycle)
- Plastic bags (not labeled compostable)
- Plastic labeled “biodegradable” (can not be composted)
- Juice or soy milk type boxes with foil liner (usually square. They go in the landfill bin)
- Metal cans and lids (recycle)
- Diapers and feminine products (landfill)
- Kitty litter and animal feces (bagged go into landfill bin)
- Small construction debris (must be properly disposed of by a contractor)
Other simple reminders include checking plastic containers and plastic bags to see if they are labeled compostable (I always eat takeout so this is a big one!), making sure to compost used paper napkins and paper towels and empty moldy food from its (plastic) container into the green bin (this happens to me a lot).
Once you’ve filled your compost bin, just take it to the green bin and you’re good to go! Seriously, how easy is that?
I don’t know about you, but living in this city gives me so much pride – even more so, I want to take care of the city I care so deeply about. That’s why I’m confident we can get to San Francisco’s Zero-Waste by 2020 goal!
For more easy tips on composting, visit the Real Foodies Compost website and check out more on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Cheers and happy Friday!