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As a proponent of composting (or at least Use kitchen waste as plant food) we are always on the lookout for tips and tricks that can improve or (even better) make the process easier. This also includes knowing what should and shouldn’t end up on the compost heap or in the bin.
Happily, Maki Yazawa from Well + Good wrote an article Point out the best and worst foods to compost. Here’s what you should know.
The best foods to compost
Accordingly Yazawa’s research– Including expert interviews – there are some of the best foods to compost:
coffee and tea
This one is well known, but a classic for good reason: Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which helps with composting. If you use unbleached coffee filters, they can also be composted. The same applies to tea: as long as the tea bag is biodegradable and made of compostable materials, just throw the whole thing in.
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fruit
Fruits are popular additions to compost heaps in general, thanks to all of the nutrients they provide. However, some parts take longer to break down, such as avocado or stone fruit pits (such as peaches and nectarines) or hard peels (such as some types of melons). It’s also a good idea to keep track of the amount of acidic fruits – like tomatoes and citrus fruits – that you add to the compost heap as they can affect its pH.
vegetables
Vegetables are now much easier to compost, mainly because they can be processed whole, as leftovers, rotten, cooked or raw.
Leftovers
Leftovers, including “untreated vegetables, grains and pasta, and lean boneless meat and protein” can all be composted. Yazawa writes.
The worst foods to compost
While most foods can technically be added to a compost heap, that is Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises against ingesting the following items – primarily because they can cause bad smells or attract pests:
- Dairy products such as butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt
- Eggs (although eggshells are fine)
- Fats, fats, lard or oils
- Meat or fish bones
Finally the EPA says to avoid composting leaves or branches of the black walnut tree as they release substances that can be harmful to plants.
