The next time you are throwing an item in the trash, think about whether you can compost it instead. There are many things that can be added to your compost pile, and later used to grow some great tasting vegetables or herbs. Everyone that is familiar with composting knows that things like grass clippings, and dead tree limbs are great additions to a compost pile, but what about some ordinary items from around the house?
There are many things you can add to your compost pile that you may never think about, here are 30 such items:
Start Composting Today
There are many things you can add to your compost pile that you may never think about, here are 30 such items:
- Pet fur
- Hair from a hairbrush
- Fingernail/toenail clippings
- Pet toe nail clippings
- Dry pet food
- Droppings and newspaper from bird cages
- Fish food flakes
- Alfalfa pellets or hay used to feed rabbits
- Vacuum cleaner fluff
- Dryer lint
- Cotton balls(Use the 100% cotton balls; avoid using the synthetic types)
- Coffee grounds
- Coffee filters
- Paper bags (shredded)
- Egg shells (It is best to microwave or heat shells in the oven for 10 minutes prior to composting. This will kill any bacteria such as salmonella)
- Used paper towels (avoid using paper plates that are heavily stained from meats or dairy products)
- Used paper plates (avoid using paper plates that are heavily stained from meats or dairy products)
- Dust from dusting
- Ashes from a fireplace or barbeque grill
- Some leather items (avoid using leathers that have dyes or other colorings)
- Old paper back books (just the pages with black & white print; remove glossy color-printed covers)
- Newspaper
- Toilet paper rolls
- Small, thin cardboard boxes (like mac & cheese or Hamburger Helper boxes that are torn into small peices)
- Tea bags
- Cooked plain rice
- Wine corks (avoid using synthetic corks. Make sure it is real cork)
- Stale cereal
- Old Christmas trees (shredded or chipped)
- Old Jack-O-Lanterns
Start Composting Today