75 Things You Didn't Know You Could Compost

By Colleen Vanderlinden, Planet Green

The basics of composting are simple. Most people know they can compost fruit and vegetable peels, leaves, and grass clippings. But what about that tea bag you used this morning? Or the fur that collects in the brush when you groom your cat?

The following list is meant to get you thinking about your compost possibilities. Not every item on the list is for everyone, and that’s fine. Imagine how much trash we could prevent from going into the landfills if each of us just decided to compost a few more things. Here are 75 ideas to get you started.

From the Kitchen

Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags
Used paper napkins
Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
Paper bags, either ripped or balled up
The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors
Plain cooked pasta
Plain cooked rice
Stale bread
Paper towel rolls
Stale saltine crackers
Stale cereal
Used paper plates (as long as they don’t have a waxy coating)
Cellophane bags (be sure it’s really Cellophane and not just clear plastic—there’s a difference.)
Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
Old herbs and spices
Stale pretzels
Pizza crusts
Cereal boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first)
Wine corks
Moldy cheese
Melted ice cream
Old jelly, jam, or preserves
Stale beer and wine
Paper egg cartons
Toothpicks
Bamboo skewers
Paper cupcake or muffin cups

From the Bathroom

Used facial tissues
Hair from your hairbrush
Toilet paper rolls
Old loofahs
Nail clippings
Urine
100% cotton cotton balls
Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks

Personal Items

It might be a good idea to bury these items in your pile. Just sayin’.

Cardboard tampon applicators
Latex condoms

From the Laundry Room

Dryer lint
Old/stained cotton clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces
Old wool clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces

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Read more: Conservation, Green, Home, compost

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Victoria L.

12:01AM PDT on Aug 24, 2011

I always wondered if it was okay to compost tea bags...these are great ideas!

August 24
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Karen M.

6:19PM PDT on Jul 16, 2011

Shredded paper always goes in the bottom of the cleaned counter top compost jar when it's emptied. It absorbs moisture from the kitchen scraps all day and makes it easy to empty. Wonderful info. Thanks!

July 16
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Heather D.

5:46AM PDT on Jun 30, 2011

I think this is a great idea! Of course if we compost as much as possible, we will reduce the amount of landfill waste. I am curious about something, though: if you include all of these things (or at least things that are not plant material, fruit and veggie peels, etc), can you still use this compost for the veggie garden? I've read that if you plan to add the compost to a veggie garden (or any other plant that will be consumed as food), you should not include things like pet feces. How does this work?

June 30
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Alexander F.

11:01AM PDT on Jun 27, 2011

Thank You, great information! Is fish parts good in making a compost? Thank You again. Have a nice day.

June 27
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Aneta J.

12:50PM PDT on Jun 10, 2011

great idea

June 10
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Bruce H.

10:53AM PDT on Jun 5, 2011

It is the organic stuff that goes into the compost. Shredded or in small pieces is best as the more surface, the quicker it degrades. Watch stuff though like wine corks. I've found some of the new ones are some sort of plastic, but they go in the recycle.