Compostables

Dog hair from Chui's groomer

I'm often asked "So what can I compost? What do you want?"  While there are hundreds of things you can compost they don't all breakdown and behave the same, additional some items (e.g. pine needles) can have a substantial impact on pH and other levels.  I figured the best thing to do would be to compile a list of the materials that I like to compost, these are items that break down at similar rates, don't rot and smell too bad and don't have much impact on chemical composition.

• 100% cotton anything - T-shirts and socks are good, must be ALL cotton
• Any raw fruits (all parts - pits, rind, meat) - no added sugars, chocolate, etc.
• Any raw vegetables - no oils, salad dressings, etc.
• Bread - no butter or sauces, moldy is fine 
• Chicken manure 
• Coffee filters 
• Coffee grinds 
• Corn-based packing peanuts 
• Cow manure
• Dog and cat hair
• Dried leaves
• Egg shells - any animal...
• Flowers
• Goat manure
• Grass cuttings - need to be somewhat fresh, nitrogen converts to ammonia and it clumps together and smells terrible after 24 hours
• Horse manure
• Human hair
• Human urine - yep!
• Most plant trimmings and basic yard waste
• Mushrooms
• Paper based egg cartons
• Rabbit manure
• Saw dust - real wood, NOT treated, particle, etc.
• Shredded or torn up brown grocery bags
• Straw
• Tea bags - no staples, natural bags
• Tissue - non-scented or treated, just basic tissue paper.  Even if you blow your nose with it you can still compost it, no prob!
• Toilet paper and paper towel rolls
• White non-glossy paper  

corn-based packing peanuts

Tips to make my life easier:

• Tear up paper goods (bags, TP rolls, etc) when you throw it into the container.  It's easier for you to do it when it's in your hand and dry then for me to do it after it's soggy and soaked in vegetable and fruit juices.  Paper rolls "unwind" if you start one corner and pull, bags can just be quickly torn up into ~6" pieces
• Take produce labels off produce before adding to container, it saves me from needing to check each piece manually
• Whole banana?  Peel it first as it will break down MUCH quicker and by the time I get my hands on it it will most likely be too ripe (or rotten) to handle.  This goes for all fruit and veggies, if you have the time and don't mind I will appreciate things that are cut up into smaller pieces, but no big deal if you don't want to.
• Keep non-compostable trash out of the container.  Not to sound like a jerk, but if you can't keep it clean (i.e. no trash) then don't bother because it's too much work for me to pick through and take out trash that has become integrated with the organic materials.  If you aren't sure if you can compost it then don't.

Other Tips:

• No Meat
• No Dairy
• No Dog or Cat feces, only the manures listed above