Composting organic food waste like fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells is already reducing the amount of trash we’re generating in Sleepy Hollow. Now let’s work on making our compost high quality by avoiding a tricky contaminant: plastic materials.
Plastics take a long time to break down, contributes to environmental pollution, and definitely shouldn’t be found in the soil we use to grow things. But with so much plastic in our homes, it has a way of sneaking into our kitchen bins. Practice these habits to cut plastic out of our compost:
-Peel stickers off fruits and veggies. Many of the stickers stuck on produce to scan it are made from plastic. Peel them off before putting craps like orange and banana peels into your bins.
-Pass on the dryer lint. If you’re washing many types of fabrics, chances are microplastics from some materials will wind up in your lint collector.
-Recycle glossy paper and lined cardboard. Paper materials like napkins and paper egg cartons are typically fine to add to compost as a brown material, but anything lined with wax, oil, or plastic is a no-no. Recycle anything that isn’t oil-based or soaked instead.
-What about tea bags? Make sure store-bought tea bags are food grade. Some sachets are constructed from nylon netting and should not go in the compost bin.
–Avoid plastic bags. If you use a bag to line your bin, opt for a compostable liner made from a compost-friendly material like cornstarch. You can purchase them online and at many grocery stores.
While you are at it, remember to remove twist ties, staples, and rubber bands – they do not belong in the compost bin either!
Sustainable Sleepy Hollow 