Late last month, the Boise Public Works department announced new types of food can now be composted. Boise residents can now place meat, dairy, grains and cooking oil in their green compost containers.
In 2017, the department rolled out green compost bins alongside traditional gray trash and blue recycling bins. These bins remove plant debris and kitchen scraps out of the trash stream, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases produced.
Landfills are mostly anaerobic and organic materials emit methane in that environment. Composting needs oxygen and decomposing materials release less toxic greenhouse gases. The Environmental Protection Agency reports discarded food accounts for about a quarter of landfill waste and almost 60% of methane emissions produced by landfills.
Lisa Knapp, director of Boise’s materials management program, said these statistics motivated her program to work to allow more types of food waste for city composting.
“Having those findings come to light really kind of gave us that fuel and fire to move this forward and make sure that we're doing our part to keep that food waste out and to prevent those methane emissions,” Knapp said.
The existing composting process doesn’t have to be changed to accommodate the new compostable items. Knapp does recommend freezing meat before placing it in the compost bin to reduce its odor.
“It adds a ton of bacteria and microbiological activity into the soil. Um, and that helps us to grow healthy, productive plants with lots of greenery. And those plants magically capture carbon out of our atmosphere,” Knapp said.
The City of Boise says roughly 97% of households have a dedicated compost bin and that keeps more than 30,000 tons of waste out of landfills yearly. Households without dedicated bins can be part of the program. Knapp says as of September, Boise residents living in apartments or condos have two public drop offs for food waste.
“If you're out there, and you are thinking, what can I do with my organic waste? And you live in an apartment? This is a great option for you and it's free,” Knapp said.
One hundred Boise families have registered for the pilot program, which will conclude this September. Knapp says this enrollment number is a success, and she hopes for a permanent program to be implemented.
