What Can Be Put Into a Compost Bin?

Every household generates a variety of organic wastes that could go into a compost bin rather than into a landfill. Compost builds garden and landscaping soils by increasing organic material and providing nutrients plants need to grow well. Dig finished compost into existing beds or incorporate it into new planting areas and rejoice at the improvement in plant health and vigor.

Composting Ground Rules

If it was part of a plant, you can compost it. Chopping, shredding or breaking up large or tough components will help. Composting materials are classified as either green or brown. Green components are moist and fresh and rich in nitrogen. Examples are grass clippings and kitchen produce scraps. Brown ingredients are dry and rich in carbon; they provide the bulk and aeration in the finished compost. Examples are shredded paper, cardboard and wood shavings. A good compost has roughly half green and half brown materials. Age compost by the cold method, the hot method, or a combination.

Kitchen Scraps

Peelings, scrapings, trimmings and spoiled parts of any fruit or vegetable are all obvious composting candidates. Not so obvious are teabags, coffee grounds with coffee filters, eggshells and crushed nut shells. Anything made from wheat is good, like leftover pasta, moldy bread, or stale cookies, cake or crackers. Other grains or pulses, like rice and beans, also become compost.

Paper Products

Securely dispose of your shredded personal documents -- rot them in the compost pile. Junk mail, old newspapers, cardboard boxes -- all are compostable but best torn or cut into smaller pieces and moistened first. It's a good idea to mix moist green ingredients with these drier brown type ingredients before adding them to the compost pile for good aeration and faster decomposition.

Household Wastes

Remember that cotton and linen come from plants and can be composted. Tear or cut natural fiber cloth no longer suitable for rags or household use into small pieces and add them to the compost. Don't discard the hair from home haircuts or pet grooming -- it is a great source of nitrogen and makes great compost. Put in wood shavings and sawdust from home carpentry or woodworking projects. Bedding from plant-eating pets, like guinea pigs or rabbits, is good composting material.

Yard Trimmings

Grass clippings, trimmed soft growth from hedges, trees and shrubs, and pulled weeds are all green types of ingredients. Woody or dried materials, such as branches, hay, straw and dried weeds, are considered brown ingredients. Chop up, shred or chip woody branches and cut large-stemmed weeds or pulled garden plants into smaller pieces. Fallen tree leaves make good additions.

Things To Avoid

Don't put animal matter, such as dairy products, meat, fat, bones or grease, into compost. These attract undesirable scavenging animals and produce unwanted odors. For health reasons, don't dispose of cat litter, dog droppings or human waste -- such as disposable diapers -- in compost. If you are using cool composting methods, don't include noxious weeds as an ingredient because their seeds will remain viable, or plant materials that have had diseases or insect pests form cocoons or lay eggs on them. An example here is the iris borer. If you are using the hot composting method, temperatures should get high enough in the compost pile to kill weed seeds, plant pathogens and pests. If plant materials were treated with herbicides or pesticides, leave them out. If there is any doubt about whether to include a material or not, do not include it.

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