What are 'greens' and 'browns'?

’Greens’ are food scraps - typically fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, and other similar items. ’Browns’ are items that are more carbon-filled. These include dried leaves, newspaper, egg cartons, corn stalks, or shredded cardboard. You don’t need to worry about separating or layering Greens from Browns when participating in the residential drop-off program or dumping your compost at McIntire, but these are needed for backyard compost piles.  Learn more about Backyard Composting.

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'?