What Is and What Is Not Compostable

Food and lawn waste makes up 25% of all waste in landfills. These natural materials are biodegradable, but they do not break down in landfills properly because they are so densely packed with other waste, and the biodegradable waste needs oxygen to properly break down.

When you stop thinking of yard waste and kitchen scraps as garbage, you realize it could be re-used as food for your garden! Composting is the most natural and beneficial thing we can do for our gardens, flowers, vegetable plants, and trees. Composting will help balance your soil’s texture and restore nutrients.

Anyone can compost, whether you live on a 500 acre farm or in a 500 square foot apartment! As a general rule, if it comes from a plant, you can compost it. Here are lists of what you can and cannot compost to get you started.

What you CAN compost:

  • Grass/lawn clippings
  • Hay
  • Fruit and vegetable peels
  • Tea bags
  • Coffee grounds
  • Eggshells
  • Leaves
  • Straw
  • Garden waste
  • Weeds that have not yet seeded
  • Wood chips and saw dust (from untreated wood)
  • Dryer lint
  • Shredded paper

What you CANNOT Compost:

  • Chemically treated wood
  • Diseased plants
  • Human waste
  • Pet waste
  • Pernicious weeds (Weeds that are destructive to other plants)
  • Meat
  • Dairy products
  • Animal food products
  • Fats and oils
  • Cooked food
  • Peanut butter
  • Lime
  • Glass