Unexpected Household Items You Can Compost (And a Quick Compost Primer)

Beyond kitchen scraps and yard waste, many everyday household items enrich your compost pile and divert waste from landfills. Here’s a list of surprising compostables, plus a refresher on pile management.

Surprising Compostables

• Hair (human or pet)
• Plain pasta (no sauce/oil)
• Stale bread
• Facial tissues
• Peanut shells
• Bad wine
• Stale beer
• Dust bunnies / dryer lint
• Clean shellfish shells
• Old herbs and spices
• Tea bags
• Shredded cardboard

Classic Compost Staples

• Coffee grounds (free at many Starbucks)
• Paper coffee filters
• Crushed eggshells
• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Wood ashes

Mix these with the usual base: shredded leaves, grass clippings, sawdust, newspaper.

Quick Compost Primer

• Balance moisture: Aim for damp, not soggy. Smelly pile = too wet (add dry leaves/paper). Dry pile = add water. Fire ants often signal dryness.
• Aerate: Turn or poke the pile regularly to introduce oxygen.
• Heat it up: If the center isn’t warm, add nitrogen (grass clippings are ideal). Sufficient heat (≈130°F) kills pathogens.
• Pet waste debate: Many advise against composting dog/cat feces due to potential pathogens. A hot, well‑managed pile can break them down, but small or cool piles may not. I keep two piles: one for pet waste (used only on ornamentals), one for food‑crop compost.
• Monitor temperature: A compost thermometer helps. Above 130°F, poke holes to cool slightly and preserve beneficial microbes.
• Envelope windows: Remove plastic windows from bills before composting—and pay the bills first!