80+ Items You Can Compost

[Amy SF]

By Sayward Rebhal, Networx

Home composting isn’t just for farmers anymore! The practice is becoming increasingly popular among urban environmentalists who are eager to cut their landfill contributions: from apartment dwellers growing gardens on top of NYC roofing, to folks who participate in their local municipal compost program, to homeowners looking to turn their backyards into a teeny tiny sustainable city farms. Composting is a key component of the eco-friendly puzzle, because it takes waste that’s destined for landfills and turns it into usable, nutrient-rich soil, which is perfect for gardening. Most people focus on kitchen scraps, but that’s just the very tip of the composting iceberg. Did you know you could also include the following?

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/80-items-you-can-compost.html#ixzz2b1hAq9Tk​

 

[LuvOurMother]

Cool!

 

[IamJen]

Interesting, but a big portion of this list is well, food. I mean, did people really think you couldn't compost tortilla chips, for instance? Also, you have to be careful with the dryer lint because synthetic fabrics generally don't break down fast enough in compost.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I usually don't compost anything that's been cooked or processed (like pickles, etc, not that pickles last long enough in my house that they'd be discarded).

I do compost most veggie scraps, bad leaves that I clean from the rabbits' food, and the contents of the shop vac I clean rabbit cages with (contents: hay, poop, cardboard, fur). I also compost some used paper towels.

Between composting and recycling, we have less than a full bag of trash per week.

 

[Joe]

68. Pizza boxes and cereal boxes (shredded first)
69. Toilet paper and paper towel rolls (shredded first)

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/80-items-you-can-compost.html#ixzz2bFjOCHvU​

I wonder how one would shred heavier cardboard, like a pizza box. That would more likely cause my paper shredder to burn out.​

 

[kazyeeqen]

Condoms? I... I don't know if I could.

 

[nigel1]

Yeah, I find that condoms make the whole composting experience too synthetic. Like kissing through Saran Wrap.

I agree with IAJ on the lint. Booze and pickles would be bad for smaller tips as alcohol and high acid could slow the process down. Same thing with excessive bird poops. Interestingly missing from the list is urine, which is great for composting. It's high in nitrogen which is good for maintaining a good composting temperature and ultimately good for the garden.

Cool article, though. I stopped composting when I found out my local dump allows residents to take, free of charge, all the compost they make from the green bins they haul away from our houses weekly.