What To Compost

Apples and Carrots and Beets, Oh My!

You probably know that you can compost food scraps, but did you know you can compost pet hair? What about paper egg cartons? Check out the list below and you might find you can compost more than you thought. A good rule of thumb is: If it came from the earth, it can return to the earth. This includes paper products like pizza boxes and paper napkins. If you compost at home, you can also use your Compost Nashville bin for those hard-to-compost items, like meat, dairy, and compostable bio-plastics. Have an item that’s not on this list? Reach out to us here and we’ll let you know if it can go in the bin.

What Goes In The Bin

fruits & vegetable

coffee grounds, coffee filters & tea bags

dairy products & egg shells

meat shellfish, fish products

pasta, breads, cereals & baked goods

leftovers from cooked meals

baking ingredients, spices, herbs, etc.

candy, snack food, pastries, etc.

soiled napkins, paper towels, toilet paper rolls, cotton balls, etc.

paper plates & cups ( even those with wax coating)

pizza boxes (please tear to fit)

paper egg cartons, paper cupcake liners & other paper food packaging

cut flowers & household plants

dryer lint (not dryer sheets)

hair & nail clippings

pet food and pet hair

anything labeled BPI Certified Compostable or ASTM D6400

What Does Not Go In The Bin

plastic

aluminum foil

metal

recyclable materials

animal or human waste

styrofoam

anything labeled biodegradable (it’s meaningless)