Will it Compost? - Durt.org

How To Shred Cardboard for Compost? (2 Easy Ways)

When you are creating your compost bin using any waste that you may have lying around you need to be careful what you throw in. Many times, you may be surprised to find that people are not always aware of how things need to be thrown away. Almost every piece of composting material needs to be prepared in some odd way, with cardboard easily requiring the most work to be properly added to your compost bin. You should be cutting the cardboard into little pieces …

Can I Compost Paper Towels? (Or will it ruin your pile…)

When you are composting everything in your house that can be broken down through natural processes you may be surprised when you hold some paper towels in your hand. These are things that can quickly cause your dustbin to fill up, making you use several trash bags. Most compost lovers quickly reach the stage where they start to question what other than organic material can you put in the compost bin, with paper towels being at the top of their list. If you have cleaned …

Can I Compost Corn Cobs and Corn Stalks? (and how to do it)

When having a nice grill or just a Sunday dinner you may have a few corns on the cobs ready, with butter and salt added onto them to make them the best. Everyone in your house might be fighting to get the corn and eat them, and even a family of four can leave more corn cobs left than you could handle. However, you may have a compost pile in the backyard or under the sink, could you add the corn cobs to that instead …

Can You Compost Pineapple? (Don’t Risk Ruining Your Pile)

Every time I stick something strange and new in my compost pile I watch it like a hawk for the next week. If things seem slow I’m always worried that I messed up the ratios, acidity, microbiota, etc. At least that used to be me. The truth of the matter is, it’s pretty hard to mess up a compost pile. I mean, there was a time that I accidentally dumped in a load of shredded cardboard with labels and adhesive intact and then had to …

Can You Compost Newspaper and Junk Mail?

As a gardener and sustainability-minded individual it brings me grief to receive garbage in the form of Junk Mail. For many, figuring out the most environmentally-friendly manner to dispose of it can be a headache. While certain Junk Mail is doomed for the landfill, others can save the trip and be composted right at home. This is also the case for most newspapers and other booklets printed on newsprint. Coupons, magazines, and other materials with glossy coatings are not recommended for composting. Composting Newspaper As …

Can You Compost Moldy Food and Rotten Fruit?

We all LOVE fruit. It’s the most primordial and instinctively delicious food there is. Like most people, I’ve been guilty of leaving it out on the counter one too many days, only to find it moldy and swarming with fruit flies! Honestly, I hate to admit it, but I’ve even had similar experiences with moldy bread and other foods! What now? You can probably guess it, compost time! Rotten Fruit is a perfectly fine compost material and it usually serves as a nutrient-rich source of …

Can I Compost Pine Cones and Pine Needles?

Gardening lore saying that pine needles are bad for compost and the garden has been around a long time. But this doesn’t make it true. In fact, I wasn’t even aware of the concerns most people have with composting them when I started adding them to my pile. In my regular method of action, I went ahead and piled in a bunch of raked-up pine needles and then decided I better do some research and find out if I had ruined everything. As it turns …

Is Parchment Paper Compostable?

Parchment paper is the go-to tool for home bakers and individuals who routinely cooks things in their oven. It turns any pan or dish into a functioning non-stick surface and saves you the pain of having to clean it, especially if your food is greasy or sticks! We all know the feeling of having to scrape the burnt bottoms off a pan! Yuck! Yet when all is said and done, how do you dispose of your parchment paper? Do you throw it away or recycle …

Can I Compost Dead Animals?

Mother nature has been composting deal animals for millions of years. Every time an animal has died, it has made it back to the soil through decomposition. Until humans go into the mix. Now, however, people are trying to keep the natural order of the world running as smoothly as possible, many are wondering about the feasibility of composting dead animals such as roadkill in the garden compost pile. The good news is that you can do it. Most dead animals can safely be composted …

Can You Compost Chicken Bones? (Yes, here’s how…)

When I first got into composting I wanted to throw everything I could find into our tumbler…and I did. I kept our “compost” moist, turned it regularly, and even put in a compost accelerator. It was about that time that I learned that just because something is “food-waste” and came out of my kitchen doesn’t mean it can be composted. Obviously. After my poorly thought out experiences (and a bunch of time sifting out the uncompostable stuff from our tumbler) I decided that, before adding …