Dryer lint. Yes! Chicken Bone. No?
At home composting isn’t rocket science, but some general information is required to ensure you're minimizing your carbon footprint. Most people would be surprised if I told them shredded newspaper is compostable, but what about the leftover brie from the dinner party? Sadly, dairy products and eggs - egg shells are okay - are items you should avoid putting in your home compost bin.
Here is a full breakdown of the do's and don'ts of composting:
DO’S
- Fruit and veggie scraps
- Eggshells
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Nutshells
- Teabags
- Pesticide-free leaves, grass, yard plant trimmings, and houseplants
- Paper, shredded newspaper, and paper towel & toilet rolls
- Rags (cotton or wool)
- Vacuum and dryer lint
- Fireplace ashes
- Hair and animal fur
- Sawdust, wood chips, hay, and straw
DON’TS
- Dairy products or eggs
- Fats, oils, lard, or grease
- Meat or fish scraps (or bones)
- Plants infested with insects or treated with pesticides
- Charcoal ash from the barbecue
- Animal waste or cat litter
- Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
While some of this information may not be groundbreaking, it is important to be conscious of what we put into our compost bins. So next time you finish meal prepping, or doing the laundry, think green and throw it into your food waste bin. For more information on what kind of materials are compostable, we recommend checking with your municipality.
