Saturday, May 25, 2013
Compost Possibilities from day to day life
Posted by
Green Yatra
at
6:49 PM
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
1.
Coffee
grounds and filters
2.
Tea bags
3.
Used paper napkins
4.
Pizza boxes, ripped
into smaller pieces
5.
Paper bags, either
ripped or balled up
6.
The crumbs you sweep off
of the counters and floors
7.
Plain cooked pasta
8.
Plain cooked rice
9.
Stale bread
10.
Paper towel rolls
11.
Stale saltine crackers
12.
Stale cereal
13.
Used paper plates (as
long as they don't have a waxy coating)
14.
Cellophane bags (be
sure it's really Cellophane and not just clear plastic -- there's a
difference.)
15.
Nut shells (except for
walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
16.
Old herbs and spices
17.
Stale pretzels
18.
Pizza crusts
19.
Cereal
boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first)
20.
Wine corks
21.
Moldy cheese
22.
Melted ice cream
23.
Old jelly, jam, or
preserves
24.
Stale beer and wine
25.
Paper egg cartons
26.
Toothpicks
27.
Bamboo skewers
28.
Paper cupcake or
muffin cups
From the Bathroom
1.
Used facial tissues
2.
Hair from your
hairbrush
3.
Toilet paper rolls
4.
Old loofahs
5.
Nail clippings
6.
Urine
7.
100% cotton cotton
balls
8.
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'.
1.
Cardboard tampon
applicators
2.
Latex condoms
From the Laundry Room
1.
Dryer lint
2.
Old/stained cotton clothing
-- rip or cut it into smaller pieces
3.
Old wool clothing --
rip or cut it into smaller pieces
From the Office
1.
Bills and other
documents you've shredded
2.
Envelopes (minus the
plastic window)
3.
Pencil shavings
4.
Sticky notes
5.
Business cards (as
long as they're not glossy)
6.
Receipts
Around the House
1.
Contents of your
vacuum cleaner bag or canister
2.
Newspapers (shredded
or torn into smaller pieces)
3.
Subscription cards
from magazines
4.
Leaves trimmed
from houseplants
5.
Dead houseplants and
their soil
6.
Flowers from floral
arrangements
7.
Natural potpourri
8.
Used matches
9.
Ashes from the
fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit
Party and Holiday
Supplies
1.
Wrapping paper rolls
2.
Paper table cloths
3.
Crepe paper streamers
4.
Latex balloons
5.
Raffia
6.
Excelsior
7.
Jack o' Lanterns
8.
Those hay bales you
used as part of your outdoor fall decor
9.
Natural holiday
wreaths
10.
Your Christmas tree --
chop it up with some pruners first (or use a wood chipper, if you have one)
11.
Evergreen garlands
Pet-Related
1.
Fur from the dog or
cat brush
2.
Droppings and bedding from
your rabbit/gerbil/hamsters, etc.
3.
Newspaper/droppings
from the bottom of the bird cage
4.
Feathers
5.
Alfalfa hay or pellets
(usually fed to rabbits)
6.
Rawhide dog chews
7.
Fish food
8.
Dry dog or cat food
I know that the longer I've had a compost pile, the more likely
I've been to take a second look at something I was preparing to throw in the
trash. "Hmm. Can I compost this?" is a frequent question in my house.
And, as you can see, it's surprising how often you can answer "Yes!"
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