A Simple Checklist for What Goes in a Home Compost Bin

Composting intimidates a lot of beginners mainly because of uncertainty over what’s actually allowed in the bin. Here’s a straightforward reference.

• Fruit and vegetable scraps: yes, these break down easily and form a core part of most compost.
• Coffee grounds and tea leaves, including paper filters and tea bags without plastic: yes, and they add useful nitrogen.
• Eggshells: yes, crushed first if possible, since they break down slowly whole.
• Meat, dairy, and oily foods: no, these attract pests and create odor problems that plant-based scraps generally don’t.
• Dry leaves, shredded paper, and cardboard: yes, these provide the carbon-rich material that balances the nitrogen-rich kitchen scraps.
• Pet waste from cats or dogs: no, this can introduce pathogens that aren’t broken down by typical home composting temperatures.
• Diseased plant material from the garden: no, composting can spread the problem back into the garden later.

A healthy compost pile roughly balances carbon-rich material, like dry leaves, with nitrogen-rich material, like kitchen scraps. When a bin starts smelling unpleasant, it’s usually a sign of too much nitrogen-rich material and not enough dry, carbon-rich material mixed in to balance it.