- 1Remove any plastic windows or coatings
- 2Tear into smaller pieces for faster decomposition
- 3Remove excessive food residue if possible
- 4Mix with other compost materials
- 5Avoid glossy or heavily printed materials
- Home compost bins
- Municipal food waste collection
- Commercial composting programs
- Worm composting bins (unbleached preferred)
Food-soiled paper is perfect for composting but cannot go in regular paper recycling. Pizza boxes with grease stains, paper towels, and napkins are ideal brown materials for balancing compost.
Americans use 13 billion pounds of paper towels annually. Composting food-soiled paper diverts it from landfills while creating valuable carbon-rich compost material.
- Use as mulch in garden beds
- Shred for animal bedding
- Layer in sheet mulching projects
- Use in mushroom growing substrates
Accepted
- Pizza boxes (remove plastic liner if present)
- Paper towels and napkins
- Paper plates (uncoated)
- Coffee filters
- Tea bags (paper-based)
- Food-stained cardboard boxes
- Parchment paper (unbleached)
- Paper egg cartons
Not Accepted
- Wax-coated paper or cardboard
- Plastic-lined boxes or containers
- Glossy printed materials with heavy inks
- Paper with synthetic coatings
- Aluminum foil-lined materials
Estimated value: Free carbon-rich material that balances nitrogen; creates compost worth $30-50 per cubic yard
Can I compost pizza boxes with grease?
Yes! The grease breaks down in composting. Just remove any plastic liner and tear into smaller pieces.
Are paper towels with cleaning chemicals compostable?
Avoid composting paper towels used with harsh chemicals. Paper towels from food cleanup are perfect for composting.
What about colored or printed napkins?
Most modern food-safe inks are fine for composting. Avoid heavily printed materials with thick ink layers.