Tolerance
Under 2% by volume
We hold every load below 2% visible contamination, matching what our receiving partner will accept without rejecting the truck. Most clean back-of-house programs run well under 1%.
Policy
Under 2% by volume
Contamination policy & staff training.
A clean load is the difference between compost and a landfill rerun. Here's the tolerance we hold to, what goes in and what stays out, and the short training plan we run with your team so it stays that way.
Catch point
At the bin, before the truck
Drivers spot-check the lid on every pickup. If we see contamination we'll flag it that day so it doesn't get mixed into a larger load on the truck.
If a load is rejected
Honest paper trail
A rejected load is rerouted to the landfill at landfill rates. You'll get a written note explaining what was found and a concrete fix — no quiet pass-throughs.
What belongs where
Goes in the bin. Stays out of the bin.
Print this, post it at the bin, or grab the lid stickers from us at onboarding.
Goes in
- All food scraps — meat, fish, dairy, bones, produce, prep trim, plate scrapings
- Coffee grounds, filters, tea bags (string removed)
- Food-soiled paper — napkins, paper towels, pizza boxes, parchment
- BPI-certified compostable cups, utensils, clamshells, and liners
- Cut flowers and untreated plant trim
Stays out
- Conventional plastic — bags, wrappers, utensils, straws, cling film
- Glass — bottles, jars, broken glass
- Metal & foil — cans, foil wrap, bottle caps, twist ties
- Produce stickers (PLU labels)
- Latex and nitrile gloves
- “Biodegradable” or “compostable” items without BPI certification
- Liquid grease, fryer oil, and FOG (those go with your grease hauler)
- Hazardous waste, batteries, cleaning chemicals, sharps
Staff training
Five steps that keep a load clean.
Cross-contamination is almost always a placement or signage problem, not a willpower problem. Run these once at onboarding and revisit anytime your crew turns over.
1. Place bins where the waste actually happens
Sealed totes belong next to the prep line, the dish pit, and the back door — wherever staff already move. A bin 20 feet out of the way will not get used.
2. Use the same visual cues on every bin
Color-coded lids, a photo-based yes/no sign at eye level, and a single bold rule (“If you're not sure, it goes in the trash”) handle 90% of decisions without anyone reading a paragraph.
3. Run a 10-minute tailgate at a shift change
We provide a short script. Walk the bins, show two real examples of contamination from your own waste, and let staff ask questions. Repeat it any time a wave of new hires comes on.
4. Name a bin captain on each shift
One person per shift owns a 30-second lid check before the close-out walk. That's the single highest-leverage habit for keeping a load clean.
5. Read the driver feedback note
After the first few pickups, your driver will leave a quick note if we're seeing a pattern (“gloves in the produce bin Tuesday”). Acting on those notes early prevents repeat issues.
We provide the materials. Color-coded lids, bilingual signage, a printable one-pager for new hires, and a short tailgate script — all included in onboarding. Ask your driver if you need replacements.
Rejected loads
What happens if a load doesn't make it through screening.
If contamination is bad enough that our receiving partner can't accept the load, it goes to the landfill — billed at the landfill rate plus handling. You'll get a written note with what was found, photos when we have them, and a concrete plan (signage swap, bin relocation, retraining) to prevent it next time. We'd rather slow a route down to catch contamination at the bin than quietly pass the cost along.
Seeing a problem at your bin?
Call your driver or the office. Most issues are fixed with a bin move and a fresh sign, not a contract change.
Contact usContamination FAQ
Common questions from operations managers
Local to the Black Hills
Weighed at the scale — receipt every pickup
Flexible, negotiable terms
Ready to compost what you can't sell?
Tell us about your operation and we'll send back a tailored quote — bin sizing, pickup cadence, and monthly pricing.
