Can I compost meat, eggshells, oils & fats, or compostable plastics at home?

It is not recommended to compost meat, eggshells, oils, fats, or compostable plastics in your backyard bin because they take long to break down, can get stinky, may attract critters, and need to reach specific heat temperatures to break down fully and kill any pathogens. 

However, these materials can all be composted at the City’s drop-off locations since the collected materials go to a certified commercial composting facility, or with a similar service from a curbside vendor.

Show All Answers

1. Where can I purchase compostable bags to line my kitchen container?
2. What can I do with my yard waste?
3. How can I start composting at home?
4. What types of outdoor composting bins are available?
5. What can I put in my outdoor compost bin?
6. What do I need to do to make my outdoor compost better?
7. Is pet waste compostable?
8. What are my other options for composting in Charlottesville, if I can't compost at home?
9. What's the difference between biodegradable and compostable?
10. How do I know if my take-out food container is compostable?
11. Can I use compostable bags when I drop-off my compost?
12. How can I avoid odors from my kitchen container?
13. What else, besides food scraps, can I compost at home?
14. How do I set up my kitchen to start composting?
15. Why should I compost?
16. What kind of compostable bags are used at the City Market?
17. Can I compost meat, eggshells, oils & fats, or compostable plastics at home?
18. How can I avoid fruit flies in my kitchen container?
19. Can brown paper bags be composted?
20. Are pizza boxes compostable?
21. What happens to my food scraps after they get dropped off?
22. What are 'greens' and 'browns'?