What to Compost and What Not to Compost

Knowing what's safe to throw in your composting bin, and what should stay out, can be confusing. Here's a list to make it easy to compost, adapted from the EPA, Cornell University, and other composting experts.

What to Compost

• Animal manure from herbivores (not meat-eaters like dogs or cats)
• Cardboard rolls, cereal boxes, brown paper bags
• Clean paper
• Paper towels
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Cotton and wool rags

• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
• Crushed eggshells (but not eggs)
• Fireplace ashes
• Fruits and vegetables
• Grass clippings, yard trimmings
• Hair and fur
• Hay and straw
• Houseplants
• Leaves
• Nut shells
• Seaweed (rinse off salt water)
• Shredded newspaper
• Tea and tea bags
• Wood chips, sawdust, toothpicks, burnt matches

What NOT to Compost -- and Why

• Meat, fish, egg or poultry scraps (odor problems and pests)
• Dairy products (odor problems and pests)
• Fats, grease, lard or oils (odor problems and pests)
• Coal or charcoal ash (contains substances harmful to plants)
• Diseased or insect-ridden plants (diseases or insects might spread)
• Pet wastes (dog or cat feces, cat litter) (might contain parasites or germs)
• Yard trimmings treated with pesticides (might kill composting organisms)
• Black walnut tree leaves or twigs (substances harmful to plants)

Remember that most composting experts advise a balance between green waste -- watery materials like fruits and vegetables, grass clippings and weeds -- and brown waste like dried leaves, sticks, fur, cloth, cardboard, and paper.