What can I put in my municipal compost pickup bins?

Question

I get the basic idea of what you can compost - but i hear a lot of things that I'm unsure of.

First off, it's not me doing the composting, my municipality picks up the compost every week.

Right now I'm composting tea bags, coffee grounds, and all food scraps

so, 1) People say not to put meats in - is this just because it attracts animals? Because if it's getting taken away I'm not worried about that - will meats and oils break down in a compost?

2) can I put in things such as used paper towels, kleenex and cotton?

3) If I can put in shredded paper (as I have been told I can) is it better to recycle or compost my paper?

Answer 1

It depends on your local council, so check with them first. If they are anything like mine they will have a really helpfull dedicated team, who will tell you exactly what you can/cant put into their compost bins.

In Exeter, our brown bins are collected fortnightly and they ask that no kitchen waste ( veg peelings or cooked food) is included, so many people have home  composters for their RAW veggies/fruit. Bins are strickly for garden waste, grass cuttings, weeds, hedge trimmings, etc.

Egg shells compost well, they take a long time to break down but are full of calcium.

Tea bags & coffee grounds are great too.

I think meat/cooked products give off toxins as they rot which is why some councils dont take them, but you could always get a worm farm, they will break down any organic stuff, and aparently the compost is really good. (Not a problem I have as I have two growing children and a dog - theres not a lot left after that lot have attacked a meal!)

Our council ask us not to put shredded paper into the recycling as it is difficult for the team at the centre to pick out all those little strands, but small amounts (carrier bag size) can be put into a home composter and break down really well, I dispose of all my sensitive documents that way.

In some areas you can either hire a wheely bin, for large amounts of compost or buy special bio-degradable composting bins, other places the council supply you with strong paper sacks for "green" waste.

Good luck composting!

Dee

Answer 2

Here is the RULE OF THUMB!!!   If it is a PROTEIN it cannot go into the compost, simply because it rots instead of breaking down and composting like natural plant life does.

So, not meats or dairy!

Answer 3

General on Compost

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 4

You can put in shredded paper and any organic material from plants.  You can put in egg shells but do not put in meat.