Hello CEE community, PSU Waste Management has recently noticed an uptick in non-compostable items in the compost bins in EB - both in the Departmemt Suite kitchenettes, and in the public receptacles throughout the building. Inclusion of non-compostable items in these bins will contaminate larger batches, which requires everything in that batch to be thrown in the garbage - so it's important that we abide by PSU's composting policy, which may differ from what you're used to at home. With few exceptions, only organic material such as *food scrap *or *plant debris* can be composted at PSU. Some examples of* non-compostable items *at PSU include paper towels and plates; containers marketed as 'compostable' like some coffee cups and to-go cartons; and recyclables like cardboard, aluminum, and glass. More information can be found on the PSU Composts website <https://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/waste-management#composts> - but when in doubt, it is better to throw something in the garbage than risk contaminating the compost. Continued misuse of the compost bins could result in Waste Management removing them from EB, so we appreciate your attention to this issue and your continued committment to sustainability! Best, CEE Department *--* *The CEE Department office is open Monday-Thursday from 9am-5pm, *with remote assistance available on Fridays. Please email ceedept@pdx.edu for the fastest response, as this inbox is monitored by all staff. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Portland State University Engineering Building (EB), Suite 200 503.725.4282 ceedept@pdx.edu www.pdx.edu/cee