What Can I Compost?
Ask Julie Answers, Featured, Green Home, Lawn and Garden, Organic Gardening, Soil & Fertilizer by Julie Day
What can I put in my compost pile? -Beth
If your compost pile is heating up properly, you can put all kinds of things in there. Be sure that everything you put in your compost pile is in pieces smaller than 1-2 inches. Shredded and chopped items break down must faster than whole pieces.
Here’s a list of compostable items, including a few that might surprise you.
Yard and Garden Debris
- Dead plants
- Extra potting soil
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Old cotton or leather gloves
- Peat moss
- Pine needles
- Pruning debris, limbs, and branches
- Rock dust
- Sawdust
- Seaweed
- Straw and hay
- Wood chips
Kitchen Scraps
- Fresh or rotten produce including peelings, rinds, cores, stems, and leaves
- Breads, grains, cereals, and flours
- Canned fruits and veggies
- Coffee grounds and paper filters
- Corn cobs
- Crackers and pasta
- Egg shells
- Fish bones and skins (if well buried)
- Freezer-burned fruits and veggies
- Ground-up animal bones
- Herbs and spices
- Gelatin
- Jams and preserves
- Milk, yogurt, and ice cream (although these may attract hungry animals)
- Nut shells and husks
- Paperboard (such as cereal and pasta boxes)
- Popcorn
- Rice
- Seafood shells
- Shredded paper towels and napkins
- Soy products
- Tea bags and loose tea
- Toothpicks
- Wine and beer
- Cork wine corks
- Wooden skewers
Household Waste
- Compostable forks, cups, plates, etc (look for these in the store!)
- Cotton balls
- Cotton swabs (if made of paper)
- Crumbs and dustpan contents
- Crushed seashells
- Dead bugs
- Dried flowers and potpourri
- Dryer lint
- Dust bunnies
- Felt
- Fireplace ashes (in small amounts)
- Floral arrangements
- Hair clippings (also good in the garden as critter repellent)
- Houseplant trimmings and old potting soil
- Tissue
- Leather
- Loofah sponges
- Matches
- Nail clippings
- Rope (natural fiber)
- Shavings from your pencil sharpener
- Vacuum bag dust
- White glue and paste
- Wool, linen and cotton
- Wreaths, garland, and Christmas trees (real, not artificial)
Paper
Shred these paper items and add to your compost pile or recycle bin.
- Business cards
- Cardboard
- Egg cartons
- Envelopes (remove plastic windows)
- Muffin cups
- Newspaper
- Office paper
- Paper plates (unwaxed)
- Paperboard (such as cereal boxes, toilet paper rolls, etc.)
- Post-It Notes
- Ticket stubs
Pet and Animal Waste
- Dry pet food
- Feathers
- Manure from herbivores (cows, horses, rabbits, etc)
- Pet hair
- Wood chips from pet cages
Compost Cautions
These items should NOT be added to your compost pile:
- Aluminum foil, plastic bags, and other inorganic packaging
- Chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, bleach, gasoline, and oils
- Cooked foods
- Diapers
- Diseased plants
- Glossy or heavily dyed paper
- Grease and fat
- Kitty litter
- Manure from meat-eating animals (dogs, cats, humans)
- Mayonnaise and peanut butter
- Meat scraps
- Particle board
- Treated lumber
- Whole bones
Bread, yes – package, no.
Further Information
2 Comments on “What Can I Compost?”
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February 1st, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Explain about the leather.
Thank you.
Julie Day Says:February 2nd, 2010 at 9:39 am
Leather is a natural material that can be composted, but because of the tanning process (which is meant to preserve it), it can take a long time to break down. Things like old gardening gloves, watch bands, and the occasional belt or wallet should do OK if chopped into small pieces. Large, thick pieces of leather (saddles, hats, etc) might need to be shredded and added to the pile in small amounts.