X

list of items to add to the compost pile

Composting is a great benefit to your garden. It protects plants from erosion, it improves soil, and it reduces space used up in landfills. Just keep a small trash bin in a cabinet or by the back door and add its contents to your compost pile every few days.

  • Lint from clothes dryer
  • Coffee grounds and tea bags
  • Grass clippings, fallen leaves, pine needles, and other yard debris
  • Overripe produce or rinds, peels, and cores
  • Stale bread, grains, cereals
  • Shredded paper products (bills, newspaper, paper towels)
  • Eggshells
  • Hair clippings
  • Old beer or wine
  • Leftovers that become too old to eat (no meat products)
Jennifer Tankersley:

View Comments (3)

  • Like you, I live by lists, often written on yellow post-its, sometimes on old envelopes.
    We have so much to do, lists are indispensable, for me, at least.
    It feels cool to cross off some of the things I accomplish, but I always add more.

  • Thanks for the wonderful list. We just brought our first home, and I can finally have a compost pile. This list will come in handy!