What To Compost

Composting begins with knowing which kitchen scraps and yard waste break down into rich soil. Understanding what to compost is the first step to turning your trash into garden treasure. You don’t need a science degree—just a simple list of greens and browns.

Think of compost as recycling for your kitchen and garden. Instead of sending food scraps to the landfill, you feed them to tiny organisms that create black gold for your plants. It’s easy once you know the basics.

This guide covers everything from fruit peels to cardboard. You’ll learn exactly what goes in your bin and what stays out. No more guessing or worrying about smells or pests.

Your compost pile needs two main ingredients: greens and browns. Greens are wet, nitrogen-rich materials like vegetable scraps. Browns are dry, carbon-rich materials like leaves and paper. A good mix keeps your pile working properly.

Most kitchen waste is compostable. Fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, and tea bags all break down nicely. Yard waste like grass clippings, leaves, and small branches also work great.

Here is a breakdown of common compostable items:

Kitchen Scraps You Can Compost

Fruit and vegetable peels, cores, and ends
Eggshells (rinsed and crushed)
Coffee grounds and paper filters
Tea bags (remove staples if present)
Nut shells (except walnut shells)
Stale bread, crackers, and pasta
Cooked rice and grains (in moderation)
Herbs and spices

Yard Waste For Composting

Grass clippings (thin layers to avoid matting)
Leaves (shredded for faster breakdown)
Small twigs and branches (chopped)
Weeds without seeds or deep roots
Flowers and plant trimmings
Hay or straw (clean, not treated)

Other Household Items

Shredded newspaper and office paper
Cardboard (torn into small pieces)
Paper towels and napkins (if not greasy)
Hair and fur (from brushes or pets)
Cotton balls and wool scraps (natural fibers only)
Wood ash (small amounts, from untreated wood)
Dryer lint (from natural fiber clothes)

Items To Avoid In Your Compost

Not everything breaks down safely. Some items attract pests, create smells, or introduce harmful pathogens. Keep these out of your bin.

Meat, Dairy, And Oily Foods

Meat, fish, bones, cheese, butter, and cooking oil attract rats, raccoons, and flies. They also rot slowly and smell bad. If you have a hot compost system or bokashi bin, you can handle small amounts, but for most backyard piles, skip them.

Diseased Plants And Weeds With Seeds

Plants with fungal diseases or pests can survive the compost process if your pile doesn’t get hot enough. Same goes for weeds that have gone to seed. You’ll just spread problems around your garden.

Pet Waste And Diapers

Dog and cat poop can contain parasites and pathogens harmful to humans. Diapers, even biodegradable ones, are not safe for home compost. Stick to plant-based materials only.

Coated Or Treated Paper Products

Glossy magazines, colored paper, and cardboard with plastic coating contain chemicals you don’t want in your soil. Stick to plain, unprinted paper and cardboard.

How To Balance Greens And Browns

The secret to good compost is balance. Too many greens and your pile gets slimy and stinky. Too many browns and it dries out and stops breaking down. Aim for about 3 parts browns to 1 part greens by volume.

Think of it like a recipe. Browns are the dry ingredients that provide structure and air. Greens are the wet ingredients that feed the microbes. Mix them together and you get the perfect environment for decomposition.

Quick Guide To Greens And Browns

Greens (Nitrogen)	Browns (Carbon)
Vegetable scraps	Dry leaves
Grass clippings	Straw or hay
Coffee grounds	Shredded paper
Fresh plant trimmings	Cardboard
Manure (herbivore)	Wood chips

If your pile smells like ammonia, add more browns. If it’s dry and not breaking down, add more greens. Adjust as you go. It’s not an exact science.

What To Compost In Different Systems

Your composting method changes what you can add. A simple pile works for most kitchen scraps. A tumbler needs smaller pieces. A worm bin has special rules.

Backyard Pile Or Bin

This is the most flexible system. You can add almost any plant-based material. Chop large items into smaller pieces for faster breakdown. Layer greens and browns as you add them. Turn the pile every week or two for air.

Compost Tumbler

Tumblers are enclosed and easy to turn. They work best with smaller pieces. Avoid long twigs or large branches. Stick to kitchen scraps, leaves, grass, and shredded paper. The tumbling action mixes everything well.

Worm Bin (Vermicomposting)

Worms eat your food scraps and produce castings. They prefer soft, moist foods. Avoid citrus, onions, garlic, and spicy foods in large amounts. No meat or dairy. Worms also need bedding like shredded newspaper or coconut coir.

Good worm food includes:

Apple cores and peels
Banana peels
Melon rinds
Lettuce and leafy greens
Oatmeal and cooked grains
Crushed eggshells

Bokashi Composting

Bokashi uses fermentation to break down food. You can add meat, dairy, and cooked food that other systems can’t handle. It’s a bucket system with special bran. After fermentation, you bury the material in soil to finish breaking down.

Common Mistakes When Deciding What To Compost

Even experienced composters make errors. Here are the most common ones and how to avoid them.

Adding Too Much Of One Thing

A pile full of grass clippings turns into a slimy, smelly mess. A pile of only leaves takes forever to break down. Mix different materials for best results. Variety keeps the microbes happy.

Forgetting To Chop Large Items

Whole corn cobs, avocado pits, and large branches take months or years to break down. Chop them into smaller pieces or skip them. A garden shredder helps with woody material.

Ignoring Moisture Levels

Your compost should feel like a wrung-out sponge. Too dry and nothing happens. Too wet and it goes anaerobic and stinks. Add water if dry, add browns if wet.

Not Turning The Pile

Air is essential for aerobic decomposition. Without turning, the pile gets compacted and slows down. Turn every 1-2 weeks for hot compost, or every month for cold compost.

What To Compost For Faster Results

If you want compost in weeks instead of months, choose materials that break down quickly. Soft, moist items decompose faster than tough, dry ones.

Fast-composting materials:

Grass clippings (thin layers)
Vegetable scraps (chopped small)
Coffee grounds
Soft green leaves
Manure from rabbits or chickens

Slow-composting materials:

Wood chips and bark
Corn stalks and cobs
Pine needles (acidic, use sparingly)
Large branches
Paper and cardboard (shredded helps)

Mix fast and slow materials together. The fast ones heat up the pile, which helps break down the slow ones.

What To Compost In Winter

Cold weather slows down decomposition, but you can still compost. Keep adding kitchen scraps and browns. Insulate your pile with a thick layer of straw or leaves on top. A covered bin helps retain heat.

Winter-friendly additions:

All kitchen scraps as usual
Shredded holiday wrapping paper (plain)
Christmas tree needles (in small amounts)
Wood ash from the fireplace

Your pile will freeze solid in very cold climates. Don’t worry—it starts working again when temperatures rise. Just keep adding materials and turn it in spring.

What To Compost From The Garden

Your garden produces plenty of compost material. Use spent plants, trimmings, and fallen fruit. Avoid diseased plants unless your pile gets hot enough to kill pathogens (140°F for several days).

Garden items for compost:

Dead annual plants (pull up roots too)
Pruned branches and stems
Fallen leaves and flowers
Fruit that dropped on the ground
Vegetable plant remains after harvest

Garden items to avoid:

Plants with powdery mildew or blight
Weeds with mature seeds
Invasive weeds like bindweed or quackgrass
Treated grass clippings (if you used herbicide)

What To Compost From The Kitchen

Your kitchen is a constant source of compost material. Set up a countertop bin or bucket to collect scraps. Empty it every few days into your main pile.

Kitchen items that compost well:

All fruit and vegetable scraps
Eggshells (rinse to avoid smells)
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags (remove staples and tags)
Stale bread, crackers, cereal
Pasta and rice (cooked or uncooked)
Nutshells (except walnut)
Herb stems and spice remnants

Kitchen items to limit or avoid:

Citrus peels (in large amounts—they’re acidic)
Onions and garlic (can repel worms)
Cooked food with oil or sauce
Moldy food (fine in small amounts)

What To Compost From The Office

Your home office generates compostable paper. Shredded documents, envelopes (without plastic windows), and cardboard boxes all work. Avoid glossy paper and sticky notes.

Office compost items:

Shredded paper (black and white only)
Cardboard boxes (remove tape and labels)
Paper bags
Newspapers
Paper egg cartons
Toilet paper rolls

What To Compost For Specific Plants

Different plants have different nutrient needs. Your compost can be tailored to what you grow. For example, add more banana peels for potassium-loving tomatoes. Add crushed eggshells for calcium-hungry peppers.

Tomatoes and peppers: Add banana peels, eggshells, and coffee grounds. These provide potassium, calcium, and nitrogen.

Leafy greens: Use grass clippings and manure for nitrogen. They grow fast and need lots of green material.

Root vegetables: Add wood ash for potassium (small amounts). Avoid fresh manure near harvest time.

Flowers: Use compost with plenty of browns for balanced nutrients. Too much nitrogen gives leaves but few blooms.

Frequently Asked Questions About What To Compost

Can I Compost Citrus Peels?

Yes, but in moderation. Citrus peels are acidic and take longer to break down. Chop them small and mix with plenty of browns. Worms don’t like large amounts, so limit them in worm bins.

What About Onions And Garlic?

You can compost them, but they may repel worms and beneficial insects. Chop them small and bury them in the center of your pile. Avoid adding huge amounts at once.

Can I Compost Bread And Pasta?

Yes, but they attract pests if left on top. Bury bread and pasta in the center of your pile. Stale items break down faster than fresh. Limit amounts to avoid smells.

Is It Safe To Compost Weeds?

Only if your pile gets hot enough (140°F) to kill seeds and roots. Most backyard piles don’t reach that temperature. It’s safer to leave out weeds with seeds or invasive roots. Dry them in the sun first if you want to try.

Can I Compost Paper Towels And Napkins?

Yes, if they aren’t soaked with chemicals or grease. Used paper towels from cleaning are fine. Napkins from meals are okay if not too oily. Shred them for faster breakdown.

Final Tips For What To Compost

Start small and learn as you go. You don’t need to compost everything at once. Begin with fruit and vegetable scraps, then add yard waste. Observe how your pile behaves and adjust.

Keep a list on your fridge or bin lid. It helps family members know what goes in. Over time, composting becomes a habit. You’ll automatically sort scraps without thinking.

Remember the golden rule: If it once lived, it can probably be composted. Plant-based materials are almost always safe. Animal products require caution. When in doubt, leave it out.

Your compost pile is a living system. Feed it well and it rewards you with rich soil for your garden. Start collecting your scraps today and see how easy it is to turn waste into wonder.