Fruit/Vegetable Scraps
Banana peels, apple peels, tomato tops, onion bottoms, potato peels, avocado skins, carrot tops, vegetable & fruit ends, broccoli & cauliflower stems, apple cores, etc.
Tea & Coffee
Loose tea and coffee grounds.
Meal Leftovers
Small quantities of prepared foods like grains, egg shells, fish scraps, meat scraps, sauces, & dairy products (cheese, yogurt, etc.)
Herbaceous Houseplants: Herbaceous plants (as opposed to woody varieties) have soft stems, leaves & flowers (under 2 in.)
Starches
Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, oats and other grains.
Fibrous Waste
Chopped up corn husks & nut shells.
Sticky Foods
Honey, maple syrup, jams, nut butters, etc. (in very small amounts).
Biodegradable Materials
Unbleached: Food-soiled paper napkins, tea bags, coffee filters.
Meats & Dairy
Large amounts of chicken, beef, pork, & lamb, excessive cheeses & yogurts.
Fats & Oils
Solid fats (butter, margarine, lard), cooking oils.
Hard Waste
Woody plant matter (sticks & branches), salt, hard bones (chicken, beef, pork, lamb, etc), fruit pits, pineapple heads, walnut shells (toxic to plants).
Synthetic Waste
Soaps, shampoo & conditioner, packaging, diapers, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, pet feces, cigarettes, styrofoam, synthetic chemicals (including cleaners, disinfectants, etc).
Recyclable Waste
Paper, envelopes, paper boxes, metal, plastics, glass.
