An invitation for your voluntary participation
from the Willamette View (WV) Green Team
updated 2/28/2024
Food waste “is the single largest portion of the garbage greater Portland throws away every year. Nearly a fifth of the garbage the region currently sends to landfills is food waste – that's enough to fill 5,000 long- haul trucks. As food decomposes in landfills, it creates methane, a powerful contributor to climate change.” - Metro https://www.oregonmetro.gov/food-scraps-policy
Forget about what you used to do with food scraps composting before you moved to Willamette View. Instead, follow the commercial food composting guidelines required of Willamette View. The food waste collected is presently turned into fertilizer with the possibility for converting into biogas in the future.
Rules for food composting
Allowed: All solid food scraps including meat and bones: fruit peels (no tags), coffee filters with grounds; tea bags (no staples)
Not allowed: Everything else and no liquid or ice cream
Where to deposit the food scraps
Food scraps bins labeled "Resident Only" are located at the loading dock areas of the Riverview kitchen and the White Oak Grill.
When to deposit the food scraps
| Monday - Friday | Before 8 am and after 4 pm |
| Saturday, Sunday, Holidays | All day |
No bags of ANY kind, including biodegradable or compostable bags, are allowed in food compost bins. If you use a liner bag for your food scraps container, dispose ONLY the food scraps into the main food scraps bin. Rinse and reuse bag or dispose bag as trash.
See Green Team Food Compost/Food Scraps contact if you have questions:
You may access contact information on Green Team Contacts webpage (log-in required)
Food Composting Locations
Below are some tips and information about food composting by residents at Willamette View.
Click the question to see the answer.
Food waste makes up for a large percentage of our landfill/trash waste. It generates methane gas which contributes significantly to global warming and climate change.
Willamette View is classed as a business enterprise. The regional commercial food scrap collection is a food-only program. This allows the commercial food scraps to be turned into fertilizer OR biofuel. Willamette View has invited residents to participate in their food scrap collection program, but residents must follow the commercial food-only rules that apply to Willamette View.
Because the food composting bins are located at the loading dock areas of the Riverview Kitchen and the White Oak Grill Kitchen, there is much traffic with loading and unloading activities during working hours. To ensure safety of WV residents, food scraps depositing into the food bins are limited to certain hours during weekdays. WV residents may deposit food scraps into the bins on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays at all times.
See the Food Composting Guide for photos and descriptions of the locations.
Depending on the amount of food scraps generated, you may already have a container you can use, rinse out, and reuse. You can reuse an empty nut jar often available free from the Pantry or any old container, like a large yogurt tub. Or you can purchase a food scraps bucket from the Pantry for $8.00. See the Food Composting Guide for photo showing the three types of containers.
DO NOT USE bags labeled "compostable" or "biodegradable"! No bags of any kind may go into the food scrap/compost bins.
Use old newspaper to soak up oil and dispose as garbage.
Use the yard waste bins at the Manor and Court Rose Garden areas as well as the yard waste area near the Garden plots across from the Commons.