Reduce home and garden waste by composting these natural items.
When given enough time in the compost pile, these items will all turn into compost.
Beware of adding materials from black walnut trees to a composter.
Credit:Marty Baldwin
Nuts, wood, and leaves from these trees may still release the toxic chemical jugloneafter you compost them.
For a safer solution, place hair, fur, nail clippings, and undyed feathers in thecompost bin.
After all, these items are all composed of keratin, a biodegradable protein.
However, shred these items first to help them decompose faster.
Dryer Lint
Compost dryer lint only if its produced from 100% natural fabrics, like cotton and hemp.
Lint generated from polyester and other synthetic fibers should be thrown in the trash because its not biodegradable.
Use large pieces of cardboard forlasagna gardeningor as biodegradable weed barriers.
Coffee Grounds and Tea Bags
Many gardeners overlookcoffee groundsand loose-leaf tea, but these natural items make excellent compost.
Seaweed
Coastal gardeners can use nitrogen-rich seaweed to bulk up compost piles or apply seaweed as a weed-suppressing mulch.
However, its important to only gather seaweed from clean areas and with proper permission.
Natural burlap, rope, and twine can also be composted if you cut it into smaller pieces.
Ashes
Dont throw out theashes from your fireplaceor firepit.
