TedOne of the major contributors to climate change is our irresponsible waste management. Every year tons and tons of waste fill up landfills, releasing toxic gases that are detrimental to our well-being and that of the environment. When food waste, for example, goes to the landfill, it decomposes anaerobically, that is, with low oxygen levels, creating methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that efficiently absorbs heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Composting revitalizes the soil and helps the environment by reducing methane emissions from landfills. And what’s more? there are over 200 things in and around the home that you can compost, thereby playing your part in helping the environment.
Compost isn’t limited to tossing grass clippings or autumn leaves. Cereal boxes, sesame seeds, stale pretzels, used masking tape, pits from mangos and avocados and even white glue – yes, white glue – are some of the things that can go into your compost pile.
So, what are you waiting for? Take advantage of this room by room compilation of compostable things and make a difference.
Garage
- Dustpan contents
- Natural fiber rugs
- Pencil shavings
- Power tool manuals
- Ruined jeans
- Sawdust (in moderation)
- Used masking tape
- Latex gloves
- Matches
- Twine and rope made from natural fibers
- Cardboard boxes
- Burlap sacks
- Unpainted sheetrock
- Wood chips (in moderation)
- Sea sponges
Bedroom
- Aquarium plants
- Cotton clothes
- Paper mache
- Stale cookies
- Flat soda
- Paper lunch bags
- Chewing gums
- Linen bed sheets
- Pizza crust
- Wool socks
- Linen bed sheet
Kitchen
- Teabags can go into your compost. However, they must be made of materials like cotton or hemp. If they are made of rayon or synthetic materials, open it and compost the tea leaves alone.
- Corn husks
- Sesame seeds
- Eggshells: because eggshells can be attractive to scavengers like raccoons and rats, it must be properly washed before it goes into your open compost pile. Unwashed eggshells can be used only if you have a closed compost bin
- Spoiled tomato paste or pasta sauce
- Old oatmeal
- Fruits and vegetable scraps (banana peels, avocado peels, etc.)
- Stale pretzels
- Chocolate chip cookies
- All nutshells except walnut
- Used paper napkins
- Moldy cheese is compostable but must be used in moderation
- Pits from mangos, avocados, and pitches
- Melted ice cream
- Stale wine and beer
- Spoiled tofu and tempeh
- Muffin cups/ Paper cupcakes
- Peanut shells
- Sunflower seeds
- Stale pizza
- Soggy salad
- Popcorn kernels
- Used paper bags (are compostable but ensure they are shredded before it goes into your compost)
- Coffee grounds
- Spoiled almond/coconut/rice/soy milk
- Loose leaf tea.
- Cooked rice
- Paper tablecloth
- Onions skins ( in moderation)
- Soup
- Citrus rinds
- Cooked pasta
- Stale crackers
- Stale candy (must be chopped or crushed)
- Avocado pits (they must be chopped off to avoid sprouting)
- Winter rye
- Tofu
- Potato peels
- Crab/Shrimp/Lobster shells
- Stale tortillas, pitas or bread.
- Cardboard boxes from pasta can go into your compost but they must be shredded properly.
- Old herbs and spices
- Stale pretzels
- Stale energy bars
- Tempeh
- Cardboard boxes from cereal(must be shredded)
- Wine corks (they must be chopped up so it decomposes faster)
- Toothpicks
Den
- Cigar stub
- Cooled fireplace ash
- Christmas tree
- Content of vacuum cleaner bag
- Organic tobacco waste
- Stale beer
- Dust bunnies
- Brewery waste
- Wrapping paper roll
- Natural silk curtains
- Rotting Halloween pumpkin
- Christmas trees
- Dust bunnies
- Wrapping paper roll(not coated)
Bathroom
- Gauze
- Non-sticky labels
- Dryer lint
- Toenail clippings
- Hair, human or otherwise
- Toilet paper roll
- Used tissues
- Loofahs that are made with organic materials
- Cardboard tampon applicators
- Cotton towels
- Cotton sanitary pads (must be 100% cotton)
- Cotton balls
- Latex condoms
- Tatami mat
- Used fabric softener sheets
- Used tissues
- Wine corks (they must be chopped up so it decomposes faster)
- Toothpicks
Study/ Home Office
- Leather wallets
- ATM receipts
- Leather watch bands
- Non-glossy business cards
- Non-glossy junk mail
- Post-it notes
- Tickets stub
- Stale nutrition/protein bars
- Confetti from a three-hole puncher
- Envelopes (remove plastic window)
- White glue
- Paperback books
- Newspaper: Black and white newspaper are perfectly safe to compost. Some colored newspapers/magazines, on the other hand, are coated in a thin layer of wax and may not compost well. Be sure to shred it to speed up its composting process.
Garden/Backyard
- Dead houseplants
- Hemp baskets
- Holiday wreaths
- Bamboo
- Chicken manure
- Ground cover
- Acorn shells
- Moss
- Gardening gloves made of recyclable materials
- Horse manure
- Hayweed
- Old compost
- Potash rock
- Straw
- Old cotton sheets and towel
- Tree bark
- Silkworms cocoons
- Fresh/dried flowers
- Dead houseplants
- Hemp baskets
- Used tissues
- Stale catnip
- Sod (must be broken into clumps)
- Twigs/small branches
- Crepe paper steamers
- Worms
- Dead flies
- Vines (pea, tomato, grape, etc.)
- Dead houseplants
- Wood skewers
- Fresh/dried flowers
- Leather gardening gloves
- Algae
- Dead critters
- Fallen bird’s nest
- Garden snail shells
- Feathers
- Yarn scraps
- Hay bales
- Ground cover
- Grass clippings
- Hayweed
- Trimmed plant leaves
- Wine corks, which must be chopped up so it decomposes faster
- Toothpick
Others items around the house
Apart from the items mentioned above, there are other things within the house that are certainly compostable. They include:
- Sawdust that has not been painted, treated or stained
- Dead autumn leaves
- Pond mud
- Stickers and labels
- Latex balloons
- Non-coated juice boxes
- Jell-O
- Reptile cage lining
- Burned oatmeal
- Maggots
- Flour
- Kids’ homework
- Pencil shavings
- Food-soiled paper
- Chopsticks
- Tobacco
- Fish-bait pellets
- Cattail reeds
- Clover
- Snow
- Artichoke hearts
- Woolen socks
- Dead flies and bees
- Wedding bouquet
- Granite dust
- Guinea-pig droppings
- Urine
- Grocery receipt
- Horsehair
- Rhubarb stems
- Dried jellyfish
- Envelopes from greeting cards
- Corn cubs
- Birdcage droppings
- Papier mâché
- Subscription cards from magazines, which must be shredded so it breaks down easily.
And there you have it a list of 200 things you can compost around the home! Let get COMPOSTING!
