What to compost

Part of: Home composting

Contents

You will need a 50/50 mix of green and brown items. Greens are nitrogen-rich ingredients that add moisture for rotting, while browns are carbon-rich ingredients that help create air pockets.

Green items

  • Vegetable peelings
  • Salad leaves
  • Grass cuttings
  • Old flowers and dead plants (disease-free)
  • Tea leaves and tea bags
  • Citrus peel
  • Coffee ground and filter paper
  • Cut flowers
  • Fruit peelings and pulp
  • Hay
  • Hedge clippings
  • Soft prunings and plant debris

Brown items

  • Dried leaves and twigs
  • Egg shells and egg boxes
  • Straw
  • Wood chippings
  • Wood ash
  • Shredding paper and small pieces of cardboard
  • Paper bags

Items to avoid

  • Meat and fish scraps
  • Cooked food
  • Bones
  • Bread
  • Dairy products such as milk, butter and cream
  • Oil
  • Pet waste
  • Nappies
  • Coal ash
  • Cigarette ends