Compostability: What can (or can't) be composted? GoZERO's Accepted & Prohibited Items

GoZERO prides itself on being a "broad spectrum" food waste-to-composting disposal service provider, accepting a range of items due to our larger scale and "disposal-centric" approach. Our focus is on getting food waste out of landfills, not on curating specific materials for a particular compost blend or bio-digestion process.

Backyard compost is typically of the highest quality when only vegetative food waste is included. Many composting service providers limit what they accept due to limitations in their process or a focus on producing a compost with a particular composition.

Download our general-purpose compostable flyer for a quick guide.

These items CAN be composted and are ACCEPTED in GoZERO containers.

  • Animal Bedding & Waste (no clay-based kitty litter)

  • Baked Goods

  • Chopsticks (wooden, bamboo, or other fiber-based)

  • Coffee Filters

  • Corks (natural, non-synthetic)

  • Dairy (including up to 50% flowable liquids by volume per container— let us know if you think you may be disposing of large quantities of any flowable liquids)

  • Egg & Egg Shells

  • Egg Cartons (not petroleum-based plastic or styrofoam cartons)

  • Fats (including up to 50% flowable liquids by volume per container— let us know if you think you may be disposing of large quantities of any flowable liquids)

  • Fruits

  • Meat & Bones (cooked and uncooked)

  • Nuts

  • Paper & Paper Products (not coated with plastic and do not have plastic parts)

  • Paper Towels

  • Parchment Paper

  • Pasta

  • Pizza Boxes (don't include any plastic parts)

  • Seafood & Shellfish (cooked and uncooked)

  • Serviceware

  • Sugars

  • Tea Bags

  • Vegetables

  • Wax Paper (only wax coating, not a plastic coating)

  • Wood Waste & Yard Trimmings

These items CANNOT be composted and are PROHIBITED in GoZERO containers.

  • Aluminum in any form (eg, foils, cans, etc.)

  • Cartons (eg, milk cartons, juice cartons, etc.)

  • Clothing

  • Electronics

  • Glass & Glass Containers

  • Healthcare & Hygiene Products

  • Metal of any kind

  • Nitrate & Rubber Gloves

  • Plastic Film Bags of any kind (eg, snack food bags, sandwich bags, grocery bags, etc.)

  • Plastic wrap (eg, Saran Wrap)

  • Rock & Stone

  • Styrofoam

  • Traditional Petroleum-Based Plastics (eg, containers, coatings, films, etc.)

Can I compost items like compostable cups, service ware, trash bags, and more?

Just because it is marked “compostable” does not always mean it is. When in doubt, ask. We have suppliers whose products we know, such as our liners, will compost. We’re happy to share those with you. Please be aware that “biodegradable” usually does not mean compostable. We ask that you first see if the products are BPI Certified , ASTM D6400 Compostable, or TUV Compostable and then share the product with us so we can approve.

A couple of our mottos...

"If it grows, it goes." AND "When in doubt, keep it out." 

Don't hesitate to get in touch with us with specific questions or suggestions.

Joshua Ulrich