Composting is one of the easiest ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle. It may come as a surprise, but a considerable amount of the waste that people discard each day can be composted. In America, approximately 30% of the typical household waste stream is compostable.
We've put together this list of 46 not-so-obvious compostable items.
Note: Some of these items (labeled with *) are not recommended for back yard compost piles, and should only be composted in an industrial scale setting due to the heat and monitoring practices used in professional methods. You can read more about the difference between backyard and professional composting here.
From the kitchen:
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags
Egg shells
Fruit pits and cores
Freezer-burned fruits and vegetables
Expired milk*
Moldy cheese*
Melted ice cream*
Outdated yogurt*
Meats bones and fish*
Used paper napkins
Cooked pasta or rice
Stale bread and cereal
Used paper plates (as long as they don't have a waxy coating)
Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
Expired herbs and spices
Natural wine corks*
Stale beer
Wine
Wood toothpicks
Bamboo skewers
Pizza crusts
Pizza boxes
Paper cupcake or muffin cups
Paper fast food packaging* with no waxy or shiny surface
Candies, cookies, and cake*
Seaweed and kelp
Certified Compostable Products (BPI Certified)*
From the bathroom:
Used facial tissues*
100% cotton balls (no synthetic fabrics)
Around the house:
Pencil shavings
Leaves trimmed from houseplants
Natural potpourri
Dead houseplants
Old soil from houseplants
Flowers from floral arrangements
Used matches
Sawdust
Party and holiday supplies:
Soiled paper table cloths
Jack o' Lanterns (no paint or synthetic materials added)
Natural holiday wreaths
Evergreen garlands
Pet-related:
Feathers
Rawhide dog chews*
Old Fish food*
Expired dry dog or cat food*