Organic Composting Materials
Composting is an easy way to create vitamin-rich fertilizer for a garden or lawn. Organic composting bins are easy to build and most home and garden supply stores carry a variety. Materials high in nitrogen and carbon are great for composting. Composting cuts down on waste significantly. Whenever something is discarded, it should be stripped of anything biodegradable. Does this Spark an idea?
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Yard Refuse
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Most compost heaps start as piles of yard trimmings. Weeds, grass clippings, leaves, dead plants and fallen branches can all be used for compost. Large branches, old logs and chunks of wood need to be broken down into small pieces with a wood chipper or a hatchet. Trimmings from inside the house work just as well. Dead houseplants and insects can be tossed into the pile. Anything that grows in the yard makes great compost.
Food and Waste
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Anything that is food is compostable. All of the scraps created during preparation -- carrot tops, potato peels, egg shells, beef fat -- can be tossed in the compost heap, as well as leftovers that won't get eaten or go bad. Spoiled food and freezer-burned food will work, but certain foods create an awful stench when they go bad, so take some care when deciding what to throw away and what to compost. Fish heads may be fine if the compost heap is far from the house, but if it is a compost bin near the kitchen they could cause problems.
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Garbage
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Many of the things a household uses on a daily basis can be composted. Paper and cardboard break down great. Shred them beforehand and make sure there isn't any plastic or rubber attached. Tea bags and biodegradable coffee filters can be thrown in with the tea leaves and coffee grounds. Animal waste from pets can be added to a compost heap and biodegradable animal litter and cage liners are available.
Other Items
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Anything made from wood, leather, wool and cotton can be composted if it is broken down into small pieces. Wallets, clothing, bags and shoes should be torn apart. Any metal, plastic or rubber has to be taken off. Furniture can be broken down and chopped up. Books, certain candles, old toothpicks, fingernail clippings, leather jewelry and the contents of a vacuum cleaner bag can all be tossed into the compost heap to provide nourishment for a future garden.
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References
- Photo Credit gartenarbeit image by Daniel Fuhr from Fotolia.com
