It’s no secret that we are huge fans of composting and reducing green waste however possible. We practice hot composting, sheet composting and worm composting with our kitchen and yard waste. But just when we thought we knew all there was to know about what to put in (and leave out) of our piles, we came across this list that gave us some surprises and “Duh!” moments.
For instance, a couple of things we have never composted are wine corks and latex products like balloons. We DO compost dryer lint, dust bunnies and pet hair given our incredible bounty of these.
Here are 75 things that you can compost:
From the Kitchen
Things you can compost
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags
Used paper napkins
Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
Paper bags, either ripped or balled up
The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors
Plain cooked pasta
Plain cooked rice
Stale bread
Paper towel rolls
Stale saltine crackers
Stale cereal
Used paper plates (as long as they don’t have a waxy coating)
Cellophane bags (be sure it’s really Cellophane and not just clear plastic—there’s a difference.)
Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
Old herbs and spices
Stale pretzels
Pizza crusts
Cereal boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first)
Wine corks
Moldy cheese
Melted ice cream
Old jelly, jam, or preserves
Stale beer and wine
Paper egg cartons
Toothpicks
Bamboo skewers
Paper cupcake or muffin cups
From the Bathroom
Used facial tissues
Hair from your hairbrush
Toilet paper rolls
Old loofahs
Nail clippings
Urine
100% Cotton cotton balls
Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks
Personal Items
It might be a good idea to bury these items in your pile. Just sayin’.
Cardboard tampon applicators
Latex condoms
From the Laundry Room
Dryer lint
Old/stained cotton clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces
Old wool clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces
From the Office
Bills and other documents you’ve shredded
Envelopes (minus the plastic window)
Pencil shavings
Sticky notes
Business cards (as long as they’re not glossy)
Receipts
Around the House
Contents of your vacuum cleaner bag or canister
Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces)
Subscription cards from magazines
Leaves trimmed from houseplants
Dead houseplants and their soil
Flowers from floral arrangements
Natural potpourri
Used matches
Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit
Party and Holiday Supplies
Wrapping paper rolls
Paper table cloths
Crepe paper streamers
Latex balloons
Raffia
Excelsior (what the heck is excelsior?)
Jack o’ Lanterns
Those hay bales you used as part of your outdoor fall decor
Natural holiday wreaths
Your Christmas tree. Chop it up with some pruners first (or use a wood chipper, if you have one…)
Evergreen garlands
Pet-Related
Fur from the dog or cat brush
Droppings and bedding from your rabbit/gerbil/hamsters, etc.
Newspaper/droppings from the bottom of the bird cage
Feathers
Alfalfa hay or pellets (usually fed to rabbits)
Rawhide dog chews
Fish food
Dry dog or cat food
Source: Planet Green
Thing to Avoid in Your Compost Pile
Opinions vary about what can and cannot be composted. We avoid meat products, walnut shells, glossy paper, dog and cat waste, and chemically-treated wood. Experts disagree about composting dairy and grains. In our experience, they do attract pests. Here is a helpful list of things to avoid.
This all sounds complicated but it’s not. More than anything, we have learned that if you keep an eye on your pile, give it a little TLC and try to strike a 2 to 1 balance of browns over greens, then you simply can’t go wrong.
Balance, simply put:
2 x Browns = anything that USED to be living
1 x Greens = anything living
Most important? We’ve learned that shredding green waste (which we did using elbow grease before inventing the Green Cycler) will make your compost ready up to 4X faster!
