What Can I Compost
People who have been composting for many years know that organic materials for compost fall into the three basic categories: carbon-based, nitrogen-based, and the DO NOT COMPOST category. The Carbon-based materials are also referred to as "Greens" and the Nitrogen-based materials are also known as Browns. The greens are usually dry materials such as newspapers, saw dust, dry clippings and straw. While wet organic materials fall under the browns category: fresh lawn clippings, vegetable and fruit scraps, etc.
Anything that is organic can be composted, but that does not mean you want to put any organic material into your pile. The items that fall into the Do Not Compost column are ones that may cause unwelcome odors as well as attract rodents and flies to your compost pile. Rather than memorizing what you cannot put into the pile there is an easy rule of thumb: do not compost meats, dairy products, grease, fats or oils. If you think your compost pile may have some problems check our compost troubleshooting and composting tips for possible solutions.
The list that you see below is a good starting resource, but it is by no means all-encompassing. You will learn a lot along the way and you may even develop your own list that you can post on your fridge for your family to follow.
After mastering the compost pile you might want to learn about composting toilet and how they help conserve lots of fresh water.
What Can I Compost? |
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| Carbon-Based (Greens) | Nitrogen-Based (Browns) | Do Not Compost |
| Bread (no butter) | Dryer lint | Barbecue charcoal |
| Coffee grounds & filters | Grass clippings (dried) | Fish |
| Egg shells (crushed) | Leaves (dry) | Coal ash |
| Feathers | Woodchips (small amounts) | Meats |
| Flowers | Hardwood ash (thin layers) | Dairy products |
| Fruit scraps | Sawdust (thin layers) | Bones |
| House plants | Straw | Oils |
| Vegetable scraps | Peanut butter | |
| Leaves | Fats | |
| Green plant trimmings | Diseased or insect-infested plants | |
| Tea leaves and tea bags | Feces (animal or human) | |
| Hair (animal and human) | Weeds with mature seeds | |
| Grass (small amounts) | Wood ash or dust that is treated | |
| Weeds that damage (i.e. crab grass, wild morning glory) | ||