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Food Scrap Composting (Organics to Energy Program)

The Organics to Energy compost program serves commercial customers including restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, and a range of special events. Participation in the program ensures local businesses meet the requirements of AB1826, the state’s new organics recycling law. Read More. If you are a commercial business and wish to start composting food scraps, please contact your waste and recycling service provider to discuss collection service. Please visit www.organicstoenergy.org  for more information on getting started with a compost program.

What’s Accepted in the Food Scrap Compost Program

The food scrap compost program accepts food material, inlcuding:

• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Post-consumer food scraps
• Egg Shells
• Bones  (animals and fish)
• Meat
• Cheese
• Bread
• Coffee grounds
• Wood coffee stirrers and chop sticks

The program also accepts compostable packaging (cups, plates, cutlery, bags) that have received  Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certification. This ensures that a product will biodegrade completely, quickly, and safely. For a list of products that carry this certification, please visit BPI’s website.

Please visit the Organics to Energy website for a list of items that are not accepted that are considered contamination.

Special Event Compost Collection

If you wish to divert food scraps from a special event, it is important to assure that all event vendors use certified compostable products (above) and if bagged, certified compostable bags. If you will be delivering the material yourself (self hauling), bring a completed Food Scrap Compost Guidelines Form  to submit at the District scales upon delivery. You will then be directed to the food scrap compost receiving area to unload your material.

Special Event Collection Containers for Compost and Recycling

Based upon availability, the District loans to special event collection containers for compostables and recyclables to local organizations within the District’s service area. Complete a request form, and/or contact district staff for additional information on compost collection at your event.

“Clean Green” Landscape Material Recycling

Clean green waste such as landscape trimmings, brush, tree pruning, and grass clippings are received at the Materials Recovery Facility for recycling. The rate for these organic materials, if “clean” and free of contamination such as palm fronds, cactus, ice plant, poison oak, mixed waste, paper, plastic, metal, glass, etc. is discounted per ton. Read More

Green waste is processed into mulch using an electric grinder powered by electricity we produce in our landfill gas renewable energy program. This mulch is then used as the raw material for producing compost on our site. Finished Compost is available for purchase in bulk at the District scales or by the bag at the Last Chance Mercantile.

Clean Wood Waste Recycling                                                 

Unpainted wood is also accepted at a discounted rate. Wood must be free of contamination from mixed waste and may not include any treated or painted wood. Wood chips, natural and colored, large and small are produced from this reclaimed wood and sold in bulk and by the bag. This recycled product makes an affordable and aesthetic landscape cover.

See Green and Wood Waste Disposal Criteria for specific information on accepted materials.

Home Composting

MRWMD offers free composting workshops   for residents, educators and students within the MRWMD service area throughout the year. See www.mrwmd.org/event-and-workshop-registration/to register. Composting supplies (link to products page), including bins, literature, thermometers, and collection containers are available for purchase at the Last Chance Mercantile. Read More

Basic Home Composting Workshop

Through presentation and hands-on demonstrations participants will learn the basics of composting including: choosing a compost system, what to compost, how to make and maintain a compost pile or bin, and the harvesting and use of the finished compost in your landscape and garden.

Vermicomposting (Composting With Earthworms)

Vermicomposting puts nature’s decomposers (earthworms) to work for you. Learn how to compost your food scraps using only a small, closed container. Perfect for those who live in small spaces or don’t have a big yard to compost to.

Sheet Mulching Workshop Or “Lose Your Lawn The Bay-Friendly Way”

$ave money, time, water usage, deter weeds, freshen your landscape, and help waste diversion in your local communities. Learn how to use cardboard, compost, wood chips and a little “elbow grease”, for an effective landscape treatment, called “sheet mulching”. It is an affordable, DIY project you can use to replace lawns, make garden paths, and/or even attractively cover a “weedy patch” in your yard.

Why Compost?

“Rot happens”, but with a little help from us, and a home compost system or backyard pile we can speed up the process, turning “garbage into gold” for our gardens, our wallets and our planet.

Reducing The Use Of Valuable Landfill Space.

When studying California’s waste stream it has been approximated that 33% of organic material from homes and businesses go to landfills. By keeping the organic material out of our landfills and composting it, we help our cities and counties meet the requirements of state mandated waste reductions laws; AB 939 and AB341.

The Benefits Of Using Compost In Our Gardens Includes:

• Returns nutrients and adds beneficial organisms to the soil
• Improves soil structure
• Improves water retention of the soil, and thus water conservation
• Healthier plants
• Reduces unnecessary use of fertilizers and toxic pesticides, reducing polluted run off.
• Saves you money

Resources for School Composting Programs

Teachers do you need learning materials, how-to guides, bins or a class presentation on composting? If your school is within the MRWMD service area* contact the Public Education Coordinator at kherring@mrwmd.org for more information.

More Information
Food Scrap Compost Program Guidelines

Home Composting Brochure

Vermicomposting Brochure

Worm Resources

Landscape and Composting Products

Links

http://www.organicstoenergy.org

http://www.keithdaycompany.com/

http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/

www.omexchange.org

Contact Haulers for information on residential compost bin availability and green waste collection:

Waste Management Inc. – www.wm.com/ / 831-384-5000

Monterey City Disposal – www.montereydisposal.com / (831) 372-7977

Republic Services Salinas – www.republicservicessalinas.com / (831) 775-3840

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Construction Update

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Proper Disposal of Unused Medications & Medical Sharps

Medications should never be flushed down the drain.

For proper disposal of pharmaceuticals the best solution is to return them to a pharmacy with a take-back program. Please check with your local pharmacy to see if they offer a take-back program. MRWMD can receive “over the counter” medication and medical sharps (safely sealed in a sharps container and/or sealed and labeled plastic bottle). For a listing of free, safe collection sites for unused Medications in Monterey County, see www.DontRushToFlush.org

To dispose of your medications or medical sharps at MWRMD, follow the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for disposing of pharmaceutical wastes in the trash.

Medications

• Remove the medicines from the original container and mix with an undesirable material such as coffee grounds, ashes, or kitty litter.
• Then place the mixture in an impermeable container such as a sealable bag and discard the bag in the trash.
• Recycle the empty plastic medicine bottles in your curbside recycling program.

Medical Sharps (lancets and syringes with needles)

To prevent accidental needle sticks and exposure to blood borne pathogens in your home and community, always use proper containment and disposal.

• Obtain a sharps container from your local pharmacy or HHW
• Discard all used or exposed needles, syringes, & lancets, in a sharps container
• Dispose sharps container at an approved drop-off location when ¾ full.

Medications

• Remove the medicines from the original container and mix with an undesirable material such as coffee grounds, ashes, or kitty litter.
• Then place the mixture in an impermeable container such as a sealable bag and discard the bag in the trash.
• Recycle the empty plastic medicine bottles in your curbside recycling program.

Medical Sharps (lancets and syringes with needles)

To prevent accidental needle sticks and exposure to blood borne pathogens in your home and community, always use proper containment and disposal.

• Obtain a sharps container from your local pharmacy or HHW
• Discard all used or exposed needles, syringes, & lancets, in a sharps container
• Dispose sharps container at an approved drop-off location when ¾ full.

For further information about safe and proper disposal and drop off locations see Monterey County’s publications “Sharps Disposal” and “Pharmaceutical Drop Off”.

More Information

Don’t Rush to Flush
Pharmaceutical Drop-Off Locations

Pharmaceuticals Disposal, Espanol

Sharps Drop-Off Locations

Sharps-Drop Off Locations Spanish

*MRWMD Service Area Includes the following jurisdictions:

Moss Landing, Castroville, Marina, Seaside, Del Rey Oaks, Sand City, Monterey, Monterey-Salinas Highway area, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Unincorporated Carmel, Carmel Valley, Carmel Highlands, and Big Sur

(Donations, Last Chance Mercantile, Bulky Item Collection)

(Compost & Landscape Products)