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:



  1. Pet Hair
  2. Pet fur
  3. Hair from a hairbrush
  4. Fingernail/toenail clippings
  5. Pet toe nail clippings
  6. Dry pet food
  7. Droppings and newspaper from bird cages
  8. Fish food flakes
  9. Alfalfa pellets or hay used to feed rabbits
  10. Vacuum cleaner fluff
  11. Dryer lint
    Cotton Balls
  12. Cotton balls(Use the 100% cotton balls; avoid using the synthetic types)
  13. Coffee grounds
  14. Coffee filters
  15. Paper bags (shredded)
  16. 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)
  17. Used paper towels (avoid using paper plates that are heavily stained from meats or dairy products)
  18. Used paper plates (avoid using paper plates that are heavily stained from meats or dairy products)
  19. Dust from dusting
  20. Ashes from a fireplace or barbeque grill
  21. Some leather items (avoid using leathers that have dyes or other colorings)
  22. Old paper back books (just the pages with black & white print; remove glossy color-printed covers)
  23. Newspaper
  24. Toilet paper rolls
  25. Small, thin cardboard boxes (like mac & cheese or Hamburger Helper boxes that are torn into small peices)

    Used Tea Bags
  26. Tea bags
  27. Cooked plain rice
  28. Wine corks (avoid using synthetic corks. Make sure it is real cork)
  29. Stale cereal
  30. Old Christmas trees (shredded or chipped)
  31. Old Jack-O-Lanterns
Are there any other unusual items that you compost?

Start Composting Today