When dollar bills of any denomination get too beat up to use, the federal government shreds them. For a long time, the various Federal Reserve banks gave out small bags of shredded money to visitors as a souvenir — always a big hit with kids.
But for the last few years, shredded money has been used as compost in gardens. Here’s a story from Seth Archer at Business Insider about the new approach.
“Have you ever wondered what happened to currency that gets damaged? If you have a paper shredder in your home, you already have a pretty good idea. But that’s just the start….
“The New Orleans branch of the Federal Reserve shreds $6 million in cash each day. They mainly shred bills that are dirty, taped, graffitied or otherwise unfit to be used as cash.
“The bills are shredded to a fine texture to make compost. … The cash is transferred to a compost facility, where it is mixed with other materials to make nutritious plant food.
“After the compost is made, it is sold to local farmers, who use it to grow peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.
” ‘It is very fulfilling to be growing using a material that would otherwise go to waste.’ — Simond Menasche, founder and director of Grown On.”
More here.
Photo: Great Big Story
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
Good to know we have such creative minds working with the Federal Reserve
The Fed has been pursuing greener practices for years. They have made laminated tables with shredded money, and I once almost brokered a deal with an upholstery training company in Springfield to use it for stuffing!
I went to the National Treasury in DC when I was a kid and thought it was the most. fascinating. museum. ever! Big sheets of uncut dollar bills and all kinds of weird currency. I have wondered, though, what happened to “decommissioned” money–nice to know it’s being at least as productive as my kitchen scraps!
Maybe money doesn’t grow on trees, but it can grow IN trees. Or tomatoes.