Things to Put in a Compost Bin

You can compost leftover food.

Compost bins are a great way to dispose of biodegradable garbage. Common compost items include fruit and vegetable peels, grass clippings and pruned branches. Many household items can be composted alongside plant material. Compost ideally has a mixture of green and brown components. Green materials, including plants and vegetables, compost quickly and will rot away unless you combine them with brown materials that have a longer decomposition time, such as wood.

Paper

Your morning paper can be composted if you shred it first.

Many of the paper items you use everyday should be composted instead of thrown into trash cans. You can add newspapers, old bills, receipts and facial tissues to your compost bin. Paper towels, napkins, fliers and cereal boxes are all biodegradable. Shredded cardboard from packages you've received and takeout food containers can be composted and so can brown paper bags from lunches.

Hair

Take your hair trimmings home with you and add them to your compost bin.

Natural hair is biodegradable and can be composted. If you give your kids a haircut, the leftover trimmings can be composted. Hair from your own hairbrush or the hair that gets vacuumed out of the carpet can go in the bin as well. Some barbers will even let you take your hair clippings home.

Leather

Old leather items can go in your compost bin.

Leather is a natural, biodegradable substance. Instead of throwing away your worn out leather items, you can put them in your compost bin. Your old watch straps and pet leashes can be composted and so can such clothing as jackets and gloves. Make sure you cut leather items into strips and recycle any metal parts, including zippers and studs. Make sure the item is leather and not faux leather. Faux leather is made from plastics that won't break down in a compost bin.

Pet Sheddings

Pet waste can be put in your compost bin.

Pet clippings and fur are biodegradable. Nail clippings, droppings, and soiled bedding from dogs, cats, and caged pets can be composted. You can buy ecofriendly cat litter that dissolves quickly when composted. The next time you take your dog for a walk, bring ecofriendly bags to clean up after him. The whole bag can then be thrown into your compost bin. If you decide to compost pet waste, make sure it is not used in food gardens.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Building Your Compost Pile
• Ohio State University Extension: Fact Sheet -- Composting at Home

Resources

• Plan Tea; 163 Things You Can Compost; Marion Owen