What Not to Compost: Essential Items You Should Keep Out
Composting is a fantastic way to reduce waste, enrich your garden, and do your part for the environment. However, not everything can—or should—go into the compost pile. Adding the wrong materials can create problems for your composting process, leading to unpleasant smells, pests, or even harmful toxins. To ensure your compost stays healthy and effective, it’s important to know what to avoid.
Here’s a comprehensive list of items you should not compost and why:
1. Meat, Dairy, and Fish
While it might seem natural to compost scraps from your meals, meat, dairy, and fish should stay out of your compost pile. These materials are high in fats and proteins, which take a long time to break down. They can also attract pests like rodents and flies, leading to unpleasant odors. In addition, these items can introduce harmful bacteria into your compost, which might be dangerous if the compost is later used on food crops.
2. Oils, Fats, and Greasy Foods
Oils and fats, whether from cooking or food waste, don’t break down easily and can create a greasy layer that disrupts the balance of your compost. This makes it difficult for the microbes to do their job, and can cause clumping or slow decomposition. To avoid this issue, always dispose of oils and greasy food waste in your regular trash or recycling.
3. Diseased Plants
While plant material is great for compost, diseased plants should be left out. Composting diseased plants could spread pathogens or fungi into your compost, which may harm your garden once the compost is used. If you’re unsure whether a plant is diseased, it’s safer to dispose of it through other means.
4. Weeds with Seeds
Weeds are notorious for spreading quickly, and this can be especially problematic in a compost pile. If you add weeds that still have seeds, they may survive the composting process and sprout in your garden when the compost is applied. It’s best to avoid adding weeds that are actively producing seeds or to make sure they are fully decomposed before using the compost.
5. Pet Waste
Pet waste, such as dog or cat feces, contains pathogens that can pose a risk to human health. While some composting systems are designed to handle pet waste, it’s generally not recommended for home composting. These pathogens can contaminate the compost, which may then be spread onto garden plants or vegetables, potentially leading to illnesses.
6. Chemically Treated Lawn Clippings
If you use chemical pesticides or herbicides on your lawn, avoid adding clippings from treated grass to your compost pile. These chemicals can remain in the compost and harm your plants when used. It’s important to ensure that anything going into your compost is free of toxic chemicals.
7. Synthetic Materials (Plastic, Glass, Metal)
Synthetic materials like plastic, glass, and metal are not biodegradable and will never break down in compost. These should always be kept out of your compost bin. It’s essential to keep your compost pile as natural as possible to encourage the breakdown of organic material.
8. Citrus Peels
Citrus peels, like those from oranges, lemons, and grapefruits, contain high levels of acidity. While not harmful in small quantities, an excess of citrus peels can disrupt the pH balance in your compost, slowing down the decomposition process. If you choose to add them, use them sparingly.
9. Glossy or Coated Paper
Paper that’s glossy, such as magazine pages or food packaging (e.g., juice boxes), contains chemicals and coatings that do not break down well in compost. These items can introduce unwanted substances into the soil, so it’s best to stick to plain, non-glossy paper if you want to compost paper products.
10. Coal or Charcoal Ash
While wood ash can be composted in moderation, coal or charcoal ash should not be added. These ashes can contain harmful substances such as heavy metals and toxins, which can be detrimental to soil health. Avoid adding any ash that comes from a treated wood or charcoal fire.
11. Larger Branches or Logs
Large pieces of wood, such as branches or logs, can take years to break down in a regular compost pile. They can also create air pockets, disrupting the flow of oxygen needed for the decomposition process. If you want to compost wood, it’s better to chop it into small pieces or use a special system designed for larger organic matter.
Conclusion
Composting is a simple and rewarding process, but knowing what not to compost is just as important as understanding what you should add. By keeping these problematic materials out of your compost pile, you can create nutrient-rich, healthy compost that will benefit your garden and the environment. Always strive for balance in your composting process, focusing on a mix of greens (nitrogen-rich materials) and browns (carbon-rich materials), and your composting efforts will be much more successful.
