Starting your compost pile was easy, but now you have a few questions. Perhaps one major question...can this be composted? We all know veggie scraps and dry leaves can be added to your compost pile, but what about dryer lint? Don’t worry, the IWRC has you covered!
We compiled a list of common household greens (nitrogens) and browns (carbons) that are safe to add to your growing compost. Just a friendly reminder, your compost pile should be one part green and three parts brown. Keep adding to that compost!
Green (Nitrogen)
- Veggie and Fruit Scraps
- Coffee grounds
- Tea bags/loose leaf tea
- Grass clippings
- Dead plants
- Fresh leaves
- Stale bread
- Egg Shells
- Corn Cobs
- Cooked plain pasta and rice
- Seaweed and kelp
- Shrub or hedge clippings
- Lawn and garden weeds
- Stale bread or tortillas
- Algae
- Alfalfa
- Clover
- Used hops
- Weeds not gone to seed
Brown (Carbon)
- Shredded paper, including non-glossy junk mail
- Bedding from small animals
- Dried leaves
- Peanut shells
- Paper napkins
- Shrubs, branches and twigs
- Paper coffee filters
- Wood chips
- Shredded brown paper bags
- Hay
- pinecones
- Dryer Lint
- Newspaper and Tissue paper
- Shredded paper cups, plates
- Pine needles
- Wood ash
- Crumbs from sweeping
- Shredded paper towel rolls
- Stale crackers
- Old herbs and spices
- Oatmeal
- Stale seeds (pumpkin, sunflower)
- Bamboo skewers
- Paper muffins cups/tins
- Tissues
- 100% cotton balls
- Shredded fabric
- Old rope or twine
- Fur from house pets
Congratulations on taking a big initiative to reduce your environmental footprint. Composting is one of the ultimate forms of recycling! For more information and best practices, download our complete composting toolkit.
Resources:
http://www.planetnatural.com/composting-101/what-to-use/
http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/100-things-you-can-compost
http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html
http://life.gaiam.com/article/compost
http://organicgardening.about.com/od/howtocompost/a/50-Things-You-Can-Compost.htm