June 11, 2008
Temporary Restriction on Disposal of Raw Red Tomatoes

Due to the presence of salmonella in some of the tomato supply, put raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes in the garbage. Raw red tomatoes and products containing them have been linked to a salmonellosis outbreak.

Dispose of tomatoes in the garbage not in the food scraps & yard debris collection cart, backyard compost bin or worm bin.

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Food Scraps and Yard Debris

Food Scraps & Yard Debris service costs less than garbage service and creates compost rather than garbage.  To order Food Scraps & Yard Debris service, log in to your account or call (206) 763-4444.

When you subscribe to Food Scraps & Yard Debris service, you create a valuable product to use in parks and gardens. Approximately 30% of all material that ends up in the landfill could be composted instead. When you keep food scraps, food-soiled paper and plants separate from your garbage you extend the life of our landfill and conserve resources.

Your Food Scraps & Yard Debris cart is collected every week on your garbage collection day. Food Scraps & Yard Debris collection weeks alternate with Recyclables collection. Log in to your account to determine your collection week.

See Services and Rates for the cost of this service.

For tips on how to keep containers clean, how to collect food scraps in the kitchen and why composting saves money and conserves resources visit www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/garbage-recycling/recyclefood.asp.

Put all of the following items in your Food Scraps & Yard Debris cart:

Food Scraps


Meat, seafood, bones
Dairy products
Fruits, vegetables
Bread, pasta, grains
Eggshells, nutshells
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags

Food-Soiled Paper

Paper towels and napkins
Paper plates and cups (uncoated)
Paper take-out cartons (uncoated)
Greasy pizza boxes
Paper bags containing food scraps

Plant Materials

Houseplants
Weeds
Houseplants
Branches

Do not put plastic, glass or metal in the Food Scraps & Yard Debris container,