May 2024

Header: Earth Matters, Environmental News, Pierce County PPW

If You Can Eat It, We Can Compost It

If you can eat it you can compost it circle graphic with text around a garbage truck that says food and yard waste on it. Surrounding the truck is scraps of food.

Have you heard the news that Pierce County’s curbside residential yard waste program now accepts food waste? Residents with this service can put all food and yard waste in their existing yard waste container.

Accepting food waste is a critical action in Pierce County’s Sustainability 2030 Plan that calls for a 45% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030. When food and yard waste end up in the landfill the organic material rots and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Now, food scraps can be composted instead of buried in the landfill. This effort is being coordinated by Pierce County in partnership with LRI and the county’s three solid waste service providers: Murrey’s Disposal, LeMay Pierce County Refuse, and University Place Refuse & Recycling.

Residents are encouraged to add the following things to their food/yard waste carts:

Fruits/vegetables
Seafood/shells
Bones
Meat
Dairy
Bread/rice
Coffee grounds and tea bags

The following things will not be accepted:

Pizza boxes
Items labeled compostable (take-home boxes, service ware, plastic bags)
Napkins
Plastic plates and cups

These new guidelines apply across Pierce County, regardless of your service provider. You can find the new guidelines at PierceCountyWa.gov/YardWaste.

Want to see the process of composting your food and yard waste? Check out our new video at the Purdy Composting Facility!

Products labeled "Compostable"

Do you have a recycling question? Send it to us at PCRECYCLE@PierceCountyWa.gov We’ll send you a direct response and your question may appear in a future newsletter!

Food and yard waste collected from homes in Pierce County is taken to the Purdy Compost Facility or the Hidden Valley Compost Factory and turned into compost in just under 50 days. These facilities use aerated static piles, which are ideal for quickly breaking down food and yard waste.

Products labeled “compostable,” like cups, utensils and to-go boxes, require specific temperature, moisture, and microbial conditions to decompose. These conditions are often different than the environments needed to compost just food and yard waste. Composting systems taking products labeled “compostable” need 6-12 months to make finished compost. The Pierce County food and yard waste composting system makes high-quality compost very quickly so we don’t accept anything that will not break down in 50 days.

Pile of Compost steaming at the Purdy compost facility

Pile of steaming compost at the Purdy Compost Facility

Youth Film Festival- Save the Date!

Youth Film Festival, the Climate of Our Communities, with a graphic of a video camera.

The Climate of Our Communities Youth Film Festival is happening on Sunday, May 19 from 2:30-5 p.m. at The Grand Cinema in Tacoma. This free event is being put on by a youth planning team and will feature short films made by Pierce County youth as well as opportunities to connect with environment and sustainability-focused local organizations. Reserve your spot here.

Visit our Youth Engaged in Sustainable Solutions (YESS ) to learn more about the film festival and other youth networking opportunities.

Farmers Market Season is Upon Us

display of fruit (strawberries) and vegetables (tomato, cucumber) for sale in farmers market style.

Visit Pierce County’s Support Local Farms webpage to find your nearest farmers market and how you can connect with local farms. Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is another great way to support your local farmer. CSA involves consumers who purchase a share of a farm upfront which provides financial security to the farmer. In return, the consumer receives a regular box of fresh produce. See which Pierce County farms participate in CSA programs here.

May is Bike Month!

a female and male, both on bikes with helmets on stopped on the Narrows bridge to take a selfie.

Join us in celebrating Bike Month! Here are three quick ways to get involved:

Get out and ride! If you are an avid bicyclist or just getting started, Pierce County’s Bike Month is a great opportunity to explore and enjoy your surroundings by bike. Find resources to prepare for your trip and more at RideTogetherPierce.com/Bike. There is also information on bringing your bike on the bus or train.
Participate in our Bike Everywhere Challenge throughout the month of May either as an individual or a team. Ten logged trips enters you into a chance to win $10-$50 prizes! Visit RideTogetherPierce.com/BikeMonth to learn more!
Share your bike selfie or a photo of what you enjoy from your bicycling on Facebook or Instagram with the tags #BikeEverywhere and @RideTogetherPierce to enter a $10 gift code drawing.

Commute Trip Reduction Open House

Graphics of commute options: bus, train, bike, walk, work from home, carpool, vanpool

The Ride Together Pierce team is writing a 2025-2029 Commute Trip Reduction plan to address the types of commuter support strategies needed by the Pierce County community to explore sustainable commute options.

To prepare this plan, the Ride Together Pierce team wants to know whether the transportation facilities in your area provide adequate support to minimize your drive-alone trips, whether you’re commuting to work or school, running errands, or visiting a friend.

Provide feedback via the Online Open House today and be entered to win a $25 gift card!