100 THINGS

YOU CAN COMPOST

Compost Basics
for Every Home

DAWN GIFFORD
smallfootprintfamily.com
 t = L i f e
Compos
Composting is far more than just free fertilizer for the garden. It’s a vital and necessary sustainabil-
ity strategy for reducing waste, closing the nutrient cycle, and preventing air pollution that causes
climate change.

Composting can remove 20-50% from your household waste stream, reducing the burden on
landfills while replenishing your lawn, trees, houseplants, or garden for free. (And if you pay for
trash pick-up, composting can save you money there, too.)

When organic matter like food waste goes to

Composting is a sacred act. the landfill, it ends up decomposing anaerobi-
cally—or without oxygen. This process creates
methane, a greenhouse gas 20-35 times more
A person who composts thought- potent than carbon dioxide at warming our
fully is a shepherd over the trans- planet. Landfills are the United States’ third
formation from death into life. largest source of methane emissions, accord-
Without the holy cycle of decay ing to the EPA.
and rebirth that the composter
If we composted food and other organic waste
harnesses for her garden, life on
instead of throwing it away, we’d need fewer
this planet could not exist. landfills, and they wouldn’t emit methane.
Food does not belong in landfills.
 For your soil, there is no more powerful ingredient
than compost. Whether you till it into your garden
beds or use it as mulch around shrubs and trees,
it is considered essential to organic and sustain-
able food production. Once it’s in the soil, finished
compost—or humus (HYU-muss)—increases fer-
tility, adds both micro- and macronutrients, buf-
fers pH, prevents diseases, breaks down toxins,
and improves soil structure.

But even if you don’t have a garden, composting is still a vitally

important practice. We humans take far more carbon, minerals and organic matter
from the soil than we put back. But without organic matter, soil becomes dead, inert min-
eral dust that won’t grow anything but weeds.

Returning as much of our organic waste as we can to the soil will begin to rebalance the
nutrient cycle we depend on for our very survival.

Composting Basics
The basics of composting are simple. Pretty much anything
that once lived or was made from a living thing can be com-
posted. As long as an item contains all natural components, it
will decay, decompose and break down, returning it’s nutri-
ents to the soil.

A compost pile can be as easy as starting a heap of veggie

scraps, dead leaves, and grass clippings in the far corner of
your yard, but most people like to contain their compost in a
neat-looking compost bin.

There are many different kinds of compost bins to fit every

living situation: simple pallet bins, tumblers that make turn-
ing the compost easy, towers for urban yards and small spaces, and even worm compos-
ters that will make fast, odorless work of all your table scraps
in the space under your kitchen sink. Select the bin style that
works for you, and if it is an outdoor model, install it near the
garden, away from your house.

Once you have reached a critical mass of scraps in your bin

(usually about a cubic yard of material or a 3’x3’x3’ pile), it will
begin to noticeably break down. After everything has de-
composed and transformed into dark, rich-smelling, crumbly
humus, you can sprinkle it around your trees, lawn, garden or
houseplants to help them grow.
 Garden G
old

Considered “black gold” by most gardeners, even if you don’t garden yourself, you could easily
give your compost away to your neighborhood green thumb! Avid gardeners never have enough
compost!

HOW TO BUILD A COMPOST PILE

Two vital ingredients are necessary for soil-dwelling
Did you know that good creatures to be happy in your compost pile: They
compost is the most important need Carbon for energy and Nitrogen for growth.
part of the garden? All plant and animal wastes contain both, but some
materials have more carbon than others, and some
are higher in nitrogen.
It aerates soil, breaks up clay,
binds together sand, improves Carbon-rich compost materials—called “browns”—
drainage, prevents erosion, neu- are generally dry and dull colored. Nitrogen-rich
tralizes toxins, holds compost materials—called “greens”—are generally
moisture, releases essential green or moist and messy.
nutrients, and feeds soil life,
In order for soil organisms to properly digest your
creating healthy conditions for compost pile, they need their carbon and nitrogen
natural antibiotics, worms and in a certain proportion, called the Carbon/Nitrogen
beneficial fungi. (C/N) Ratio. If there is too much carbon in your pile,
it will take a long time to break down. If there is too
 u c e W a s t e
R e d

much nitrogen in your pile, it will smell bad. If the ratio is just right, the pile will heat up consider-
ably, shrink to about half its original size, and yield rich humus for your garden.

To make rich, fast compost, combine your ingredients in approximately a 25 to 1 C/N ratio by
weight, using the following steps.

1. If you are making an open pile in your yard (as

opposed to using an enclosed bin), start by If you’re an average American,
using a spading fork to loosen the soil under- you produce 4.4. pounds of trash
neath the pile area so that your compost will every single day. In a nation of
drain well when it rains. nearly 350 million people, that
amounts to more than 700,000
2. Spread a loose, even 3- or 4-inch layer of tons of garbage produced ev-
shredded brown materials (See list.) across
ery day—enough to fill around
the bottom of your pile or bin. Moisten thor-
60,000 garbage trucks!
oughly with a garden hose.
All that trash goes to the landfill,
3. Spread an even 2-inch layer of shredded
where the food waste in it pro-
duces 20% of all methane emis-
green materials or manure (See list.) on top
sions. It’s hard to overestimate
of the layer of brown materials. If needed,
the importance of reducing, re-
moisten thoroughly. cycling and composting our food
waste, and not letting it end up in
4. Cover the green and brown layers lightly with
1/4- 1/2 inch of garden soil to prevent flies a landfill.
and odors. Lightly moisten soil.
 e B a l a n c e
Re s t o r

5. Add new layers of brown materials, green materials and soil until your bin is full or the pile is at
least 3 feet tall, long and wide. 3’ x 3’ x 3’ is the minimum pile size to create rapid, hot decom-
position.

6. Cover the top of the pile with a 1/2- to 1-inch layer of soil. Moisten thoroughly.

7. Let the completed pile decompose for 3 to 6 months while you build new piles for compost-
ing new waste. During this time, you should
keep the pile moist like a damp sponge.
You may need to water the pile when it is Two vital ingredients are necessary
hot and dry, or cover the pile with straw for soil-dwelling creatures to want
during a heavy rain to keep the moisture to consume your compost pile:
level even—not too dry, not too wet. Carbon for energy and Nitrogen for
growth.
8. Aerate the pile once or twice during the
3–6 months to add air. To aerate a compost
pile, use a pitchfork to loosen and mix the Carbon-rich ingredients are gener-
layers. If you are using a bin system, you ally dry and brown or dull colored.
can fork the compost from one bin to an- Nitrogen-rich compost materials
other, or use the tumbling feature on some are generally green or moist and
compost bins to simply toss the ingredients
messy.
like a salad.
 u t r i e n t s
Recycle N

9. If your compost pile has the proper C/N ratio, it should heat up noticeably after a few weeks,
especially in the center of the pile. This is normal and a sign of well-made compost. You can
monitor this temperature with a compost thermometer (available at garden centers). The pile
should ideally heat to a maximum of 120-160 degrees F. The pile will cool down naturally and
shrink to about half its original size when it is done. You can keep the pile warmer longer by
turning it to add air.

10. You’ll know your compost is finished when it is cool, black and crumbly throughout and has an
earthy, forest-like smell. The finished product
should not smell or look at all like the original
ingredients. Do not use your compost before Composting is an ideal form of
this time because it has not finished decom-
posing and could stunt the growth of your
recycling nutrients to the land
garden plants. from which they originally came. It
is one of the most basic means of
If your not sure whether or not your compost conservation, ensuring that future
is mature, put a handful of compost from the generations will have the same
edge of the pile into a glass jar, close the lid, benefit of the earth as we do now.
and place it in a sunny location. After three
days, open the jar and smell the contents. If
Composting is an essential part
the compost in the jar smells sour or rotten, of responsible and efficient home
let your pile mature for another week or two management.
and test again.
 Speeding Up Your Compost
Compost happens.

If you leave an apple on a table, it will eventually decay and break down into a little pile of
dirt. There’s really nothing you need to do to get compost to happen except make a pile
of things to rot outside. But if you want to get your compost pile to break down quickly
and evenly so you can use it regularly in your garden, here are a few things to keep in
mind:

The Right Balance

An efficient compost pile is a careful balance of dry or brown things that contain carbon
(like leaves, straw, or paper) and wet or green things that contain nitrogen (like food
scraps or rabbit droppings).

So, for example, if you add a lot of shredded leaves or cardboard to the pile, you will need
to balance and mix it with a nice heap of fresh grass clippings or horse manure, and prob-
ably some water from the hose so things don’t get too dry.

It’s a good idea to keep a small stockpile of manure (green) and straw (brown) on hand
nearby as fodder to keep your pile in balance so it decomposes quickly.

Small Surface Area

The smaller you can shred or chop your compostable items before you put them into the
pile, the faster and more evenly they will decompose. It’s really worth the extra effort to
chop and shred if you plan to use your compost for vegetable gardening.

Put slow-composting things like tree branches, nut shells, hair, or old rope into a separate
pile at the back of your lot, while keeping your faster compost pile closer to the garden.

Air and Water

Turn your compost pile as often as weekly to mix and aerate it, which will help everything
to decompose much faster. You can do this with a pitchfork, but a compost tumbler bin
can make this incredibly easy.

Make sure your compost pile stays moist, like a damp sponge. Hose it down if it’s too
dry; turn it more often if it’s too wet. The balanced combination of air and moisture in the
pile ensures that the microorganisms breaking down your compost have everything they
need to thrive and reproduce themselves.
 100 Things You Can Compost
The following list is meant to get you thinking about your compost possibilities. Imagine
how much trash we could prevent from going into the landfills if each of us just decided
to compost a few more things!

(G) refers to items that are mostly “green” (containing Nitrogen), or that decompose very
quickly;

(B) refers to items that are mostly “brown” (containing Carbon), or that take much longer
to decompose.

From the Kitchen

1. Fruit and vegetable scraps (G)
2. Egg shells (crushed) (B)
3. Coffee grounds (G)
4. Coffee filters (B)
5. Tea bags (Be sure they are made of natural materials like hemp or cotton, and not
rayon or other synthetics. If in doubt, just open it and compost the tea alone.) (B)
6. Loose leaf tea (G)
7. Spoiled soy/rice/almond/coconut milk (G)
8. Used paper napkins and paper towels (B)
9. Unwaxed cardboard pizza boxes (ripped or cut into small pieces) (B)
10. Paper bags (shredded) (B)
11. The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors (B)
12. Cooked pasta (G)
13. Cooked rice (G)
14. Stale bread, pitas, or tortillas (B)
15. Stale tortilla chips or potato chips (B)
16. Spoiled pasta sauce or tomato paste (G)
17. Crumbs from the bottom of snack food packaging (B)
18. Paper towel rolls (shredded) (B)
19. Stale crackers (B)
20. Stale cereal (B)
21. Cardboard boxes from cereal, pasta, etc. (Remove any plastic windows and shred) (B)
22. Used paper plates (as long as they don’t have a waxy coating) (B)
23. Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which are toxic to plants) (B)
24. Spoiled tofu and tempeh (G)
25. Seaweed, kelp or nori (G)
26. Unpopped or burnt popcorn kernels (B)
27. Old herbs and spices (G)
28. Stale pretzels (B)
29. Stale candy (crushed or chopped) (G)
30. Stale protein or “energy” bars (G)
31. Pizza crusts (B)
32. Old oatmeal (B)
33. Peanut shells (B)
34. Cardboard egg cartons (cut them up) (B)
35. Stale pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds (chopped up so they can’t sprout) (G)
36. Avocado pits (chopped up so they don’t sprout) (G)
37. Wine corks (chop up so they decompose faster) (B)
38. Moldy cheese (in moderation) (G)
39. Melted ice cream (in moderation) (G)
40. Old jelly, jam, or preserves (G)
41. Stale beer and wine (G)
42. Toothpicks (B)
43. Bamboo skewers (break them into pieces) (B)
44. Paper cupcake or muffin cups (B)

From the Bathroom

45. Used facial tissues (B)
46. Hair from your hairbrush (B)
47. Trimmings from an electric razor (B)
48. Toilet paper rolls (shredded) (B)
49. Old loofahs (cut up, natural only) (B)
50. Nail clippings (B)
51. 100% latex or lambskin condoms (B)
52. 100% cotton cottonballs (B)
53. Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks (B)
54. 100% cotton tampons and sanitary pads (including used) (B)
55. Cardboard tampon applicators (B)
56. Menstrual blood (G)
57. Urine (G)

From the Laundry Room

58. Dryer lint (from 100% natural fabrics only!) (B)
59. Old cotton clothing and jeans (cut into small pieces) (B)
60. Cotton fabric scraps (shredded) (B)
61. Old wool clothing (ripped or cut into small pieces) (B)
62. Old cotton towels and sheets (shredded) (B)

From the Office

63. Bills and other plain paper documents (shredded) (B)
64. Envelopes (shredded, minus the plastic window) (B)
65. Pencil shavings (B)
66. Sticky notes (shredded) (B)
67. Old business cards (shredded, as long as they’re not glossy) (B)
 Around the House
68. “Dust bunnies” from wood and tile floors (B)
69. Contents of your dustpan (pick out any inorganic stuff, like pennies and Legos) (B)
70. Crumbs from under your couch cushions (again, pick out any inorganic stuff) (B)
71. Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces) (B)
72. Junk mail (shredded, remove coated paper and plastic windows) (B)
73. Subscription cards from magazines (shredded) (B)
74. Burlap sacks (cut or torn into small pieces) (B)
75. Old rope and twine (chopped, natural, unwaxed only) (B)
76. Leaves trimmed from houseplants (G)
77. Dead houseplants and their soil (B)
78. Flowers from floral arrangements (G)
79. Natural potpourri (B)
80. Used matches (B)
81. Ashes from untreated wood burned in the fireplace, grill, or outdoor fire pits (in very
small amounts) (B)
82. Grass clippings (G)
83. Dead autumn leaves (B)
84. Sawdust (from plain wood that has NOT been pressure-treated, stained or painted) (B)

Party and Holiday Supplies

85. Wrapping paper rolls (cut into smaller pieces) (B)
86. Paper table cloths (shredded or torn into smaller pieces) (B)
87. Crepe paper streamers (shredded) (B)
88. Latex balloons (Make sure they are latex!) (B)
89. Jack O’lanterns (smashed) (G)
90. Those hay bales you used as part of your outdoor fall decor (broken apart) (B)
91. Natural holiday wreaths (chop up with pruners first) (B)
92. Christmas trees (chop up with pruners first, or use a wood chipper, if you have one...) (B)
93. Evergreen garlands (chop up with pruners first) (B)

Pet-Related
94. Fur from the dog or cat brush (B)
95. Droppings and bedding from your herbivorous pet rabbit, gerbil, hamster, etc. (Do NOT
use dog or cat poop.) (G)
96. Newspaper/droppings from the bottom of the bird or snake cage (G)
97. Feathers (B)
98. Horse, cow or goat manure (G)
99. Alfalfa hay or pellets (usually fed to rabbits, gerbils, etc.) (B)
100. Dry dog or cat food, fish pellets (B)
 d F e r t i l i t y
Bu i l

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT COMPOST

Even though you can technically compost anything that was once alive, some things are better
left out of the compost pile for the sake of better compost and less hassle.

Here are 10 of them...

1. Dog and Cat Poop

Horse, cow, chicken and rabbit droppings are great ad-
ditions to your compost pile. They will add nutrients and
organic matter that will benefit your soil.

However, it is not advisable to add the poop from dogs

and cats (and other carnivores) to your compost. Their
waste often contains microorganisms and parasites that
you do not want to introduce to the crops you will be
eating.

If you do want to compost your dog and cat poop, you

must process them separately from your regular com-
post pile, and only use the resulting compost on non-food
crops. There are special composters just for pet waste. (See image above..)
2. Tea and Coffee Bags
Coffee grounds and tea leaves definitely belong in a compost pile. They provide generous
amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, which are elements that are essential
to plants. However, coffee grounds and tea leaves should only be added to compost if
they are bag-less, or have been removed from their bags.

The bags that some coffee and tea products come in contain nylon and other synthetic
fibers that do not break down in a compost pile, and contain plastic particles and chemi-
cals you don’t want in your morning beverage, much less your soil.

Don’t compost tea or coffee bags unless you are certain they are made from natural mate-
rials, like cotton or hemp.

3. Citrus Peels and Onion SKINS

While fruit and vegetables scraps from the kitchen are fundamental ingredients in a home
compost pile, unfortunately, the natural chemicals and acidity in citrus peels and on-
ions can kill worms and other microorganisms, which can slow down the decomposition
in your pile. Plus, unless you chop them into tiny bits, citrus peels take forever to break
down, which will delay how soon you can use your compost.

If you only occasionally throw citrus peels and onion scraps into your compost bin, it’s no
big deal, but if you vermicompost or have worm bins, then citrus peels, onions and garlic
scraps are a no-no, because they will harm your worms.

Put your onion scraps into the freezer to use for making soup stock, and use your citrus
peels to make non-toxic DIY house cleaning sprays instead.

4. Fish and Meat Scraps

While technically they will decompose just fine, you really don’t want to add fish and meat
scraps to the compost pile. Fish and meat are organic and will add nutrients to your gar-
den, but unfortunately their smell will act like a magnet for any rats, mice, foxes, raccoons,
or cats in the neighborhood (or even coyotes and bears, depending on where you live),
who will ransack the compost to eat them. The stink of rotting meat and fish could also re-
ally annoy you and your neighbors, too!

5. Glossy or Coated Paper

Many paper products are potential compost fodder, especially soy-ink newspapers, old
paper towels and tissues and even shredded cardboard. They are from trees, after all!

However, paper that has been treated with plastic-like coatings to make it bright, colorful
and glossy, like magazines, won’t decompose properly, contains toxins, and is not appro-
priate for your compost pile.
6. Sticky Labels on Fruits and Vegetables
Those obnoxious little sticky labels and price
tags on fruit and vegetables are made of
“food-grade” plastic or vinyl, and do not bio-
degrade. They are also easy to miss, which
means they often end up trashing up your
compost piles.

Municipal composters can’t handle them, ei-

ther. In fact, at least one waste management
company says PLU produce stickers are
their biggest source of compost contamina-
tion.

Try to remove these stickers from fruit and

veggie scraps before you put them in the
compost pile.

7. Coal Fire Ash

The ash from coal fires or charcoal-briquet fires should not be added to your compost
pile, as it contains so much sulfur as to make the soil excessively acidic, which will harm
your plants. Also, many charcoal briquets are treated with chemicals you really don’t want
in your compost, your garden or your food.

Wood fire ash from the fireplace can be added in moderation, but please put the coal and
charcoal-briquet ash in the trash bin.

8. Sawdust From Treated Wood

While sawdust from untreated, natural woods can be a great addition to compost in mod-
eration, if the wood has been treated with any kind of pressure treatment, varnish, stain or
paint, you should never add the sawdust to your compost pile.

These toxic compounds won’t break down in the composting process and can get into
the soil, negatively affecting microorganism activity and plant health. The sawdust from
pressure treated wood alone contains arsenic and cadmium—two toxins you definitely
don’t want in your garden or your food!

Sawdust from treated wood also takes a very long time to break down because it is pro-
tected from decay by the chemicals put on it, which will delay how soon you can use your
compost on the garden.
9. Large Branches
Large branches take forever to break
down and will greatly delay your ability to
use your compost in the garden. It may be
a little extra work to cut down or chip your
branches for the compost pile, but the
smaller the pieces you add to your com-
post, the faster they will break down.

Alternatively, you can start a branch pile

at the back of your lot, where you simply
pile branches and let them rot over the
course of a couple of years. Branch piles also make
great habitat for small creatures and snakes too, so be aware of your local fauna
before you start one.

10. Synthetic Fertilizers

Synthetic fertilizers (like the blue Miracle stuff) introduce high levels of inorganic elements
into the garden ecosystem. Kind of like taking a generic multivitamin instead of eating real,
whole food, the form in which these synthetic fertilizers provide nutrients to the soil can
actually kill the microorganisms in your compost and your soil, which will ultimately affect
the health of your plants.

Compounds in synthetic fertilizers, such as heavy metals, will also leach through the soil
into the water table, as well as upset the natural balance of nutrients in the soil and in-
crease salinity.

Stick to natural ingredients for your compost pile.

ANYONE CAN COMPOST

When you get started with composting, it’s important to consider how much space and en-
ergy you have to compost. For example, if you live in an apartment or are a very busy per-
son, it might be tricky figuring out how to recycle your food waste and other biodegradable
trash. But that doesn’t mean you can’t compost.

Can you keep a worm bin indoors for veggie scraps? Does your city have a municipal com-
posting program or a community garden that composts? Do you have a friend who gardens
who might like to have your coffee grounds or birdcage papers? There are many ways to
recycle your biodegradable waste without actually keeping a compost pile yourself.

For a truly sustainable future that our great-grandchildren can thrive in, closing the nutrient
cycle by composting is essential, or we will deplete our precious soils into dust. Good thing
it is such an easy and frugal thing to do!
Going green is a journey. We’re all at different places on that journey, and that’s OK;
the key is to just keep moving forward. You don’t have take on all of these ideas at
once. One at a time, bring each idea into your life in a way that is sustainable for you.

Don’t forget: Any journey is always easier and much more fun when you have
companions! Find a friend or two, or enlist your family’s support in going green.
Check off the items you accomplish one by one, and
celebrate your achievements together!

And please join our Facebook Group, Beyond Recycling, for more
planet-friendly ideas, support and camaraderie, too!
 About The Author

Dawn Gifford is an award-winning

eco-blogger, green building expert,
sustainability consultant, Master
Gardener and Permaculture designer.

She’s the author of the best-selling

book, Sustainability Starts at Home:
How to Save Money While Saving
the Planet, and the founder of
SmallFootprintFamily.com

Dawn lives in California with her

12-year old daughter.

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