80+ Items You Can Compost

41. Burlap sacks

42. Cotton or wool clothes, cut into strips

43. Paper towels

44. Paper napkins

45. Paper table cloths

46. Paper plates (non wax- or plastic-coated)

47. Crepe paper streamers

48. Holiday wreaths

49. Balloons (latex only)

50. Raffia fibers (wrapping or decoration)

51. Excelsior (wood wool)

52. Old potpourri

53. Dried flowers

54. Fresh flowers

55. Dead houseplants (or their dropped leaves)

56. Human hair (from a home haircut or saved from the barber shop)

57. Toenail clippings

58. Trimmings from an electric razor

59. Pet hair

60. Domestic bird and bunny droppings

61. Feathers

62. Fish food

63. Aquatic plants (from aquariums)

64. Dog food

65. Rawhide dog chews

66. Ratty old rope

67. The dead flies on the windowsill

68. Pizza boxes and cereal boxes (shredded first)

69. Toilet paper and paper towel rolls (shredded first)

70. Paper muffin/cupcake cups

71. Cellophane bags (real cellophane, not regular clear plastic)

72. Kleenex (including used)

73. Condoms (latex only)

74. Old loofahs (real, not synthetic)

75. Cotton balls

76. Tampon applicators (cardboard, not plastic) and tampons (including used)

77. Newspaper

78. Junk mail

79. Old business cards (not the glossy ones)

80. Old masking tape

81. White glue/plain paste

Happy composting, everyone. Please tell us what YOU compost!

Sayward Rebhal writes for Networx. Get home & garden ideas like this on Networx.

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Laurel F.

5:42AM PDT on May 1, 2013

FANTASTIC list! We compost, but I didn't know about some of these items that may go in. Gertrude (our composter) will be very happy to receive more items!

May 1
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Melissa B.

6:44PM PST on Feb 26, 2013

thanks, making my first compost bin this spring. so excited! i usually throw food waste into the woods behind my house, does anyone know if this can be harmful? or just a lazy way to compost?