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Accepted Materials

Yard, Landscape and Garden Waste

Landscape & Wood Materials

Clean landscape and wood materials are accepted from landscapers, landscape supply yards and waste haulers.​ Material should either be loose or in paper lawn bags.​  

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  • Grass clippings, leaves & brush

  • Shrubbery, trees & logs

  • Uncontaminated soil & sod

  • Untreated wood (wood chips, pallets, etc.)

Food Scraps, Residuals & Surplus

​Clean, pre- and post-consumer food waste is accepted from food scrap collection organizations, waste haulers, grocery stores, food manufacturers, and restaurants. Material should either be loose or in a certified compostable bag.​​

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  • Fruits & vegetables

  • Meat, seafood & bones

  • Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)

  • Wheat products (bread, pasta, dough, etc.)

  • Food processing residuals 

Food Scraps, Residuals and Waste

Certified Compostable Products

While CMA-approved compostable products are our preference, we also accept BPI-certified products. CMA conducts field disintegration testing at facilities similar to ours, ensuring that products sent to industrial compost facilities break down effectively within the production cycle. On the other hand, BPI performs thorough testing in laboratory settings. However, the results may not always translate to our windrow composting facility, requiring additional research on our part before accepting these products.

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If a product is labeled as 'compostable' but is not CMA-approved or BPI-certified, please contact us to see if it's a product we can accept.

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  • Tableware (forks, spoons, knives, straws, cups, plates, etc.)

  • Food containers

  • Bags

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​For CMA-W (Windrow Technology) approved products, click here.

For BPI-certified products, click here.

Other Separated Carbonaceous Waste

  • Livestock waste (manure, unconsumed feed, bedding, feathers, hair & carcasses)

  • Crop residue & general waste materials generated by agriculture activities

  • Paper waste & byproducts

  • Other non-hazardous compostable wastes not defined above

Non-Accepted Materials & Contamination

Contaminated Yard Waste - Plastic & Garbage

We consider the following list of materials to be contaminants. Loads containing these materials are subject to rejection.

  • Plastics (bottles, bags, etc.)

  • Glass & ceramics

  • Metals

  • Rocks, stones & concretes

  • Synthetic mulch

  • Treated wood

  • Garbage

Whole Earth Compost Leaves Logo

2000 E 122nd St, Chicago, IL 60633

(312) 288-9842

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© 2024 Whole Earth Compost, LLC

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