100 things you CANNOT Compost!

As we know composting is a great act. Your decision to compost is applaudable. You’ve chosen to remove some percentage from your household waste stream. By doing this you are reducing the burden from landfills and mother earth will thank you for this. Now that you’ve made this decision, you need to take it a step further by knowing what should or shouldn’t go into your compost bin. Although anything that was once living can be compostable, there are still over 100 things you CANNOT compost.

Meat scraps, for example, is one thing that is better left out of your compost pile. While they are definitely compostable and beneficial to the soil, adding them will attract scavengers/animals like raccoons, foxes, rats, and even cats. And then there’s all the nasty stink of rotting meat you would do well to avoid.

Now that you know that, I bet you are dying to know if there are other things that shouldn’t be in your compost pile. Not to worry, I’ve compiled a detailed room by room list of things that should NOT go into your compost bin. Enjoy!

Kitchen

1. Fish and meat scraps: Fish and meat are organic and will definitely enrich your soil but while they are compostable and offer nutritional benefits to your soil, adding them to your compost pile is a sure recipe for disaster. This is because of scavengers like mice, raccoons, rats, foxes, opossums and even cats in your neighborhood. The last thing you would want is these animals ransacking your compost pile and then, there’s all that nasty stink of rotting fish which isn’t inviting.
2. Cartons/juice boxes with a coating of metal.
3. Walnuts: they are toxic and should not be added to your compost
4. Cooking oil: Let’s face it, cooking oil smells like food to insects and animals. What’s worse? They can upset the compost moisture balance and slow down the composting process.
5. Tomatoes: while they can certainly decompose, there’s a chance they can sprout in your garden.
6. Dairy products: dairy products like cheese, milk, and butter will benefit your soil but it would also attract rodents to your compost bin. Add only if you used a closed compost bin.
7. Nylon fabric
8. Foamed plastic cups
9. Coated juice boxes
10. Salad dressing
11. Peanut butter
12. Sickly labels on vegetables and fruits: I bet you didn’t see this coming. Well, sticky labels and price tags on vegetables and fruits do not biodegrade because they are made from food-grade vinyl or plastic. Be sure to remove them from food and vegetables before adding them to your compost pile
13. Coated milk cartons
14. Water bottles
15. Grocery bags
16. Coated cereal cartons
17. Rayon or synthetic tea bags
18. Coconuts
19. Cheese, which attracts rodents
20. Grease
21. Fat
22. Bones
23. Vacuum bags
24. Take out containers
25. Meat trays
26. Pickles
27. Grease
28. Yogurt
29. Lime has a high alkaline PH and can interfere with the composting process.
30. Biodegradable coffee cups
31. Compostable utensils
32. Sod
33. Diseased plants
34. Manure and feces of carnivorous animals: feces of your cats, dogs, and other carnivorous animals must never find its way into your compost bin. This is because they are can carry parasites and pathogens that transmit infectious diseases that are harmful to humans
35. Leather
36. Synthetic fertilizers
37. Bermuda grass
38. Dock weed
39. African couch grass
40. Bindweed
41. Treated wood products
42. Morning glory
43. Rhubarb leaves
44. Grass clippings or plants treated with herbicides or pesticides
45. Synthetic fertilizers
46. Weeds seeds or other weeds which may set down roots and continue to grow in your compost pile.

Garage

47. Paints
48. Tyres
49. Cable wires
50. Metal scraps
51. Metals

Den

52. CDs
53. DVDs
54. Silver foil
55. Pen refills

Bathroom

56. Old towels that are not 100% cotton Plastic combs
57. Hairdryer
58. Toothbrush
59. Face wipes
60. Personal hygiene products: tissue papers, sanitary pads and any other material stained with human blood should not be found in your compost pile.
61. Diapers
62. Store-bought shampoos that contain chemicals
63. Dryer sheets.
64. Dental floss
65. Baby wipes
66. Store-bought soaps that contain chemicals that will slow down the composting process
67. Dyes

Study/home office

68. Elastic bands
69. The plastic window from envelopes
70. Glossy and coated papers: Catalogs, colored newspaper, and other paper with a glossy appearance should not be thrown in your compost bin.
71. Glossy junk mail
72. Cigarette butts that are made from plastic

Other items around the house

73. Iron nails
74. Glass objects
75. Rocks
76. Construction materials
77. Plastic wrap
78. Glass jars
79. Treated sawdust: While sawdust is great at absorbing excess moisture in wet compost, it must be untreated, unpainted and unstained. Even so, treated sawdust should be added moderately
80. Monofilament fishing line
81. Tin cans
82. Rubber-boot sole
83. Plastic bag
84. Plastic: they will never break down so its best you avoid it.
85. Metal
86. Glass
87. Aluminum foil
88. Charcoal barbecue
89. Lint
90. Straws
91. Twist ties
92. Synthetic pesticides or herbicides will upset the chemical balance of your compost pile and most likely kill worms and microorganisms essential to the composting process, so its best you avoid throwing it in.
93. Bottles
94. Oleander leaves (are toxic to plants and should not be thrown into your compost bin)
95. Coated paper
96. Demolition materials
97. Dead animals which will contaminate your compost pile

Bedroom

98. Non-cotton clothing material
99. Perfumes
100. Leather wallets and belts

Here it is friends, my helpful list of 100 things you definitely do NOT want to compost. Take care out there!