What Can You Compost at Home? Complete Compostable List

Q: Can you compost bread?

Yes. Tear bread into smaller pieces, add modest amounts and bury it beneath dry leaves or other carbon-rich material.

Q: Can you compost coffee grounds?

Yes. Coffee grounds are a nitrogen-rich green material. Disperse them through the pile rather than creating one dense layer.

Complete Home Composting Reference

You can compost far more than banana peels and autumn leaves, but not every organic-looking material belongs in every composting system.

Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, grass clippings, healthy garden plants, dry leaves, straw and clean uncoated cardboard are suitable for most ordinary home compost piles.

Meat, dairy, oils, bones, pet waste, diseased plants and compostable packaging require more caution because backyard piles, worm bins, industrial facilities and managed microbial systems operate under different conditions.

Use this guide to identify the material first, then match it to the correct composting method.

The Four Main Material Groups

Green Waste
Fresh and nitrogen-rich

Food Scraps
Kitchen organic material

Garden Waste
Plants, leaves and prunings

Brown Materials
Dry and carbon-rich

“Green” and “brown” describe composting function, not necessarily the material’s visible color.

Quick Answer: What Can You Compost at Home?

In an ordinary backyard compost pile, you can usually compost fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, paper coffee filters, loose tea leaves, crushed eggshells, untreated garden plants, grass clippings, dry leaves, straw, small twigs, shredded non-glossy paper and clean uncoated cardboard.

Mix nitrogen-rich “greens” with approximately two to three times their volume of carbon-rich “browns.” Bury food scraps and cover them with four to eight inches of dry leaves or similar material to support airflow and reduce pest attraction.

Keep meat, fish, dairy, grease, large bones, pet feces, cat litter, diseased plants, seed-bearing weeds, treated wood, plastics and chemically contaminated materials out of a conventional home pile.

Learn how to build and manage the pile in the Complete Home Composting Guide, and see why separation matters in What Happens to Food Waste?

One Material Can Have Four Different Answers

Backyard Pile

Best for plant-based kitchen scraps, garden waste, leaves and carbon-rich materials.

Worm Bin

Best for selected fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and soft plant material.

Municipal Facility

May accept meat, dairy, bones and certified packaging, but only when local rules allow them.

Managed Microbial System

May accept a broader kitchen-food range while still applying product-specific liquid, hardness and fibre limits.

Key Takeaways

Compostability depends on the system. Backyard, worm, industrial and managed systems have different limits.
Greens supply nitrogen. Food scraps, grass and fresh plant growth are common examples.
Browns supply carbon and structure. Dry leaves, straw and shredded cardboard help keep pores open.
Most fruit and vegetable scraps are suitable. Remove stickers, packaging and rubber bands first.
Coffee grounds and eggshells are compostable. Crush shells and include filters only when they are paper.
Grass must be mixed. Thick wet layers compact and restrict airflow.
Seeded weeds and diseased plants are risky. Ordinary piles may not reach a validated treatment temperature.
“Compostable” plastic may require an industrial facility. Look for an explicit home-composting claim.
Meat and dairy are method-dependent. Avoid them in ordinary piles but follow approved managed-system rules.
Prevent edible waste first. Composting is for suitable material that can no longer feed people.

Choose the Composting System First
Green Waste List
Food Scraps List
Garden Waste List
Brown and Carbon-Rich Materials
Compostable but Slow Materials
Conditional Materials
What Not to Compost
How to Prepare Materials
How to Balance Greens and Browns
Prevent Food Waste First
What Terra II Can Compost
Frequently Asked Questions
Summary Checklist
Authoritative Sources
Related Guides

Choose the Composting System Before the Material

A material can be biologically degradable and still be unsuitable for a particular home system. The practical answer depends on temperature, oxygen, moisture, pest control, mixing and residence time.

Composting Method	Usually Suitable	Usually Avoided or Restricted	Best Use
Open backyard pile	Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, leaves, grass, garden plants, straw and cardboard.	Meat, dairy, oils, pet waste, diseased plants and seeded weeds.	Mixed kitchen and garden plant materials.
Enclosed bin or tumbler	Similar materials to a backyard pile, with improved pest protection.	Large quantities of wet food, grease, large branches and hazardous materials.	Smaller gardens and more controlled household use.
Worm bin	Most fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells and paper bedding.	Meat, dairy, grease, bones, pet waste and large amounts of citrus, onion or garlic.	Indoor composting of soft plant-based food scraps.
Municipal or industrial facility	Potentially food scraps, meat, dairy, bones, yard waste and approved compostable packaging.	Anything not specifically accepted by the local program.	Higher-volume organics processing under controlled conditions.
Managed microbial appliance	Product-approved kitchen scraps, potentially including cooked food, meat, dairy and small bones.	Packaging, large hard objects, excessive free liquid, long fibres and unapproved garden waste.	Continuous processing of everyday household kitchen organics.

The Compost at Home Hub compares piles, tumblers, worm bins and managed indoor systems in more detail.

Green Waste: Nitrogen-Rich Materials You Can Compost

In composting, “green waste” usually means relatively fresh, moist and nitrogen-rich organic material. A material does not need to be visibly green: coffee grounds and fruit scraps are also classified as greens.

Green Material	Status	Preparation	Important Notes
Fresh grass clippings	Usually suitable	Mix with dry leaves or shredded cardboard.	Do not add in a thick wet mat; compacted grass restricts oxygen.
Fresh non-seeding weeds	Usually suitable	Chop or wilt before adding.	Exclude weeds that already carry mature seed.
Soft green prunings	Usually suitable	Cut into short pieces.	Avoid long vines that may tangle or form dense mats.
Fresh leaves	Usually suitable	Shred and mix with drier material.	Young leaves contain more nitrogen than dry autumn leaves.
Vegetable plant trimmings	Usually suitable	Remove ties, labels and plastic clips.	Use only healthy, non-diseased material in an ordinary home pile.
Fresh flower stems and leaves	Usually suitable	Cut into smaller pieces.	Remove florist wire, foam, ribbon and plastic wrapping.
Spent cut flowers	Check first	Remove all non-plant components.	Use cautiously if the flowers were treated with persistent chemicals.
Coffee grounds	Usually suitable	Spread through the pile instead of adding one dense layer.	Paper filters can be composted when they contain no plastic.
Loose tea leaves	Usually suitable	Add directly or mix through the pile.	Tea bags require separate material verification.
Fruit and vegetable scraps	Usually suitable	Cut large pieces and bury under browns.	Remove produce stickers, packaging and rubber bands.
Fresh herb trimmings	Usually suitable	Chop long stems.	Strong aroma does not prevent ordinary aerobic decomposition.
Lake or pond plants	Check first	Drain and mix with dry carbon material.	Confirm local rules and exclude invasive aquatic plants.
Herbivore manure	Hot pile only	Mix with bedding and carbon-rich material.	Requires careful pathogen, nutrient and temperature management.
Spent brewery grains	Small amounts	Mix immediately with abundant browns.	Dense wet grains can turn anaerobic quickly.
Plant-based juicing pulp	Usually suitable	Mix with shredded leaves or cardboard.	High moisture and fine texture can reduce airflow when added alone.

Food Scraps: Complete Home-Composting List

Plant-based kitchen scraps are the safest starting point for an ordinary home pile. Cooked foods and animal products require more careful system selection.

Food Material	Ordinary Home Pile	Preparation	Important Notes
Apple cores and peels	Yes	Remove stickers and chop large cores.	Seeds do not usually create a practical problem, but woody stems decompose slowly.
Banana peels	Yes	Cut into shorter pieces.	Remove produce stickers before adding.
Citrus peels	Yes	Chop and mix with varied materials.	Suitable for ordinary piles; use more sparingly in worm bins.
Melon rinds	Yes	Cut thick rinds into smaller pieces.	Large rinds contain substantial moisture and may attract pests if exposed.
Pineapple skins and crowns	Slow	Cut into small pieces.	Tough fibres require more time than soft fruit.
Avocado skins	Yes	Cut into pieces.	The skin decomposes faster than the pit.
Avocado pits	Very slow	Split only when it can be done safely.	Expect to screen and return intact pits to a new pile.
Vegetable peelings	Yes	Cut long peelings to prevent matting.	Potato, carrot, cucumber and similar peels break down readily.
Vegetable stems and cores	Yes	Chop dense stems and cabbage cores.	Woody brassica stems require more time.
Onion and garlic scraps	Yes	Chop and disperse.	Suitable for ordinary piles but commonly limited in worm bins.
Corn husks	Slow	Cut across the fibres.	Long strips can form mats or wrap around mechanical equipment.
Corn cobs	Very slow	Split or chop when practical.	Often need to be screened back into the active pile.
Overripe fruit	Yes	Bury under four to eight inches of browns.	Covering limits flies, rodents and odor.
Moldy fruit and vegetables	Usually	Remove packaging and bury promptly.	Ordinary spoiled plant food can enter the pile when it is safe to handle.
Moldy bread	Small amounts	Tear up and bury deeply.	Bread is compostable but may attract pests when left exposed.
Stale bread and crackers	Small amounts	Break into pieces and mix with moist greens.	Prioritize human consumption when still safe and edible.
Plain cereal and oats	Small amounts	Mix through the pile.	Avoid adding a thick dry layer.
Flour	Small amounts	Moisten and disperse.	Dry flour can clump or become airborne.
Plain cooked rice	Conditional	Add a small amount and bury deeply.	Moist starch can compact and attract pests.
Plain cooked pasta	Conditional	Cut long pasta and bury.	Avoid oily sauces in an ordinary pile.
Coffee grounds	Yes	Mix with other materials.	Coffee grounds are considered a nitrogen-rich green.
Paper coffee filters	Yes	Tear when thick.	Exclude plastic mesh or synthetic filters.
Loose tea leaves	Yes	Add directly.	Suitable for backyard piles and worm bins.
Tea bags	Verify bag	Remove staples, labels and synthetic string.	Compost the bag only when it is confirmed paper and plastic-free.
Eggshells	Yes	Crush before adding.	They decompose slowly and may remain visible after screening.
Whole raw eggs	Avoid	Use another approved disposal route.	Odor and animal attraction make them unsuitable for ordinary piles.
Nutshells	Slow	Crush where practical.	Hard shells may remain through several composting cycles.
Herbs and spices	Yes	Mix into the pile.	Avoid dumping large amounts of salt-containing seasoning.
Plant-based leftovers	Conditional	Use small amounts; bury and balance with browns.	Oil, sauces, salt and high moisture increase management difficulty.
Meat and fish scraps	Not ordinary piles	Use an approved municipal or managed system.	They can create odor and attract rodents and other animals.
Dairy products	Not ordinary piles	Use an approved managed pathway.	Milk, cheese, yogurt and butter create pest and odor risks.
Bones	Not ordinary piles	Use an approved facility or product-specific system.	Large dense bones decompose extremely slowly.
Cooking oil and grease	Avoid	Use local oil-recycling or waste guidance.	Free oil coats particles, restricts airflow and attracts pests.
Pickle brine, soup and free liquid	Do not pour in	Drain solids before composting.	Excess liquid can waterlog the pile; salty liquids may disrupt the process.

For ordinary spoiled food, see Can You Compost Moldy Bread? and Can You Compost Moldy Grapes?

The wider Food Storage & Waste Reduction Hub explains how to keep edible food from reaching the compost bin prematurely.

Garden Waste: What Can Go Into a Home Compost Pile?

Garden Material	Status	Preparation	Important Notes
Dry autumn leaves	Excellent brown	Shred for faster breakdown.	Store dry leaves for covering food scraps throughout the year.
Fresh leaves	Suitable green	Mix with dry materials.	Fresh leaves contain more moisture and nitrogen.
Grass clippings	Suitable green	Add thin layers and mix well.	Thick layers compact, overheat locally and restrict airflow.
Healthy spent annual plants	Yes	Remove soil clumps, labels and support ties.	Chop thick stems.
Healthy vegetable plants	Yes	Cut roots and stems into shorter pieces.	Exclude plants showing serious disease or insect infestation.
Faded flowers	Yes	Remove plastic tags and wire.	Seed heads may need removal.
Nonwoody hedge trimmings	Yes	Chop into short pieces.	Mix dense evergreen foliage with other materials.
Small twigs under ¼ inch	Yes, slowly	Cut or shred.	Useful for structure and airflow but slower than leaves.
Wood chips	Small amounts	Use untreated chips.	Excellent for structure but high carbon content slows breakdown.
Untreated sawdust	Small amounts	Mix thoroughly with nitrogen-rich greens.	Dense sawdust can compact and immobilize available nitrogen.
Straw	Excellent brown	Cut long straw where possible.	Provides carbon and pore structure.
Hay	Check seeds	Use seed-free or well-managed material.	Hay may introduce weed seeds into an insufficiently hot pile.
Pine needles	Small amounts	Chop or mix with varied materials.	Waxy needles decompose slowly and can mat together.
Pine cones	Very slow	Crush or shred when practical.	Better used as a structural material than rapid feedstock.
Acorns	Slow	Crush where practical.	Whole acorns may remain after screening.
Fallen fruit	Yes	Chop and bury beneath browns.	Do not leave exposed where it can attract animals.
Weeds without seeds	Usually	Wilt or dry before adding.	Exclude invasive plants that readily regrow from roots or stems.
Seed-bearing weeds	Avoid ordinary piles	Use an approved hot or municipal process.	An ordinary pile may not expose every seed to lethal conditions.
Invasive rhizomes and roots	Avoid	Follow local invasive-species disposal guidance.	Some species can survive and regrow from fragments.
Diseased plants	Avoid ordinary piles	Use local disease-management guidance.	Home piles may not reliably destroy plant pathogens.
Insect-infested plants	Avoid ordinary piles	Bag or process according to local advice.	Insects or eggs may survive and return to the garden.
Chemically treated clippings	Check product label	Follow pesticide or herbicide restrictions.	Some treatments may harm compost organisms or persist in finished material.
Large branches and logs	Not practical whole	Chip, shred or use as woody mulch.	Whole wood decomposes too slowly for most household piles.

Brown Materials: Carbon-Rich Inputs for Home Compost

Browns provide carbon, absorb excess moisture and help create air spaces. A pile with food scraps but insufficient browns commonly becomes wet, compacted and odorous.

Brown Material	Status	Preparation	Important Notes
Dry leaves	Excellent	Shred when possible.	One of the most useful year-round household carbon sources.
Straw	Excellent	Cut long stems.	Adds carbon and structure.
Shredded cardboard	Usually suitable	Remove tape, labels, staples and plastic film.	Use plain, uncoated cardboard.
Corrugated cardboard	Usually suitable	Tear into small pieces and moisten.	Avoid waxed, plastic-coated or heavily printed sections.
Paper egg cartons	Yes	Tear apart.	Do not include plastic or foam cartons.
Toilet-paper and paper-towel tubes	Yes	Flatten and tear.	Useful as a dry carbon source.
Non-glossy newspaper	Yes	Shred and mix through the pile.	Avoid adding thick compressed layers.
Plain office paper	Small amounts	Shred and remove plastic windows or adhesive.	Prioritize paper recycling when clean and recyclable.
Brown paper grocery bags	Usually suitable	Remove handles, tape and labels; shred.	Exclude laminated or water-resistant bags.
Plain paper napkins	Small amounts	Tear up.	Avoid napkins contaminated with cleaning chemicals or heavy grease.
Plain paper towels	Small amounts	Tear or shred.	Do not compost towels used with disinfectants, solvents or synthetic chemicals.
Untreated sawdust	Small amounts	Mix with moist nitrogen-rich material.	Never use sawdust from painted, pressure-treated or composite wood.
Untreated wood shavings	Small amounts	Mix thoroughly.	Large volumes can create a severe carbon imbalance.
Natural cork	Very slow	Cut into small pieces.	Confirm that it is natural cork rather than synthetic plastic.
Hair and untreated fur	Small amounts	Disperse through the pile.	Dense clumps break down slowly.
100% natural cotton or wool	Only when verified	Cut into very small pieces.	Avoid synthetic blends, coatings, elastic, thread and chemical treatments.
Wood fireplace ash	Very small amounts	Use only fully cooled ash from clean, untreated wood.	Ash raises alkalinity and excessive amounts can increase nitrogen loss.

Compostable but Slow: Do Not Mistake Slow Breakdown for Failure

The following materials are biologically compostable but may remain visible when softer food scraps have already disappeared:

Corn cobs

Dense fibres require cutting, moisture and time.

Fruit pits

May pass through one or more screening cycles.

Eggshells

Crushing increases surface area but does not make them disappear instantly.

Nut shells

Hard structures often remain in screened compost.

Pine needles

Waxy surfaces slow water entry and microbial access.

Twigs and wood chips

Useful for structure even when they require multiple cycles.

Avocado skins and pits

Skins break down sooner; pits can remain for a long time.

Natural cork

Compostable but highly resistant when left whole.

Screen these materials from mature compost and return them to the active pile. Each additional cycle exposes more surface area and advances decomposition.

Materials That Are Compostable Only Under Certain Conditions

Material	Ordinary Backyard Pile	Where It May Be Accepted	Decision Rule
Meat and fish	Generally avoid.	Approved industrial or managed microbial systems.	Follow the exact facility or appliance input rules.
Dairy products	Generally avoid.	Some industrial and managed systems.	Ordinary piles lack reliable pest and odor controls.
Small bones	Generally avoid.	Selected industrial or product-approved systems.	Do not assume that all mechanical or biological systems accept them.
Cooked mixed leftovers	Limited, especially when oily or salty.	Municipal programs and approved managed systems.	Drain free liquid and avoid large single-food loads.
Certified compostable bags	Only when explicitly home-compostable.	Accepting industrial facilities.	“Compostable” alone usually does not mean suitable for a backyard pile.
Compostable cups and cutlery	Usually no.	Specific industrial facilities.	Check local acceptance before placing them in any organics bin.
Tea bags	Only when paper and plastic-free.	Programs that accept the certified material.	Open uncertain bags and compost only the tea leaves.
Pizza boxes	Clean, uncoated portions only.	Some municipal programs accept food-soiled paper.	Remove plastic liners, stickers and heavily coated sections.
Herbivore manure	Only with careful hot-compost management.	Agricultural or regulated compost systems.	Do not confuse aged manure with validated composted manure.
Wood ash	Very small quantities only.	Soil or compost use when chemistry is appropriate.	Never use coal, charcoal-briquette, painted-wood or treated-wood ash.
Diseased plants	Generally no.	Validated high-temperature or municipal systems.	Ordinary household piles may not treat every piece sufficiently.
Seed-bearing weeds	Generally no.	Validated hot-compost systems.	Use only when time and temperature control are reliable.

What Should Never Go Into an Ordinary Home Compost Pile?

Plastics and Packaging

Conventional plastic bags
Produce stickers
Plastic tea bags
Coffee pods
Plastic-coated paper
Foam food containers
Rubber bands and twist ties

Hazardous or Contaminated Material

Painted or pressure-treated wood
Composite-board sawdust
Solvents and cleaning chemicals
Motor oil or petroleum products
Coal and charcoal-briquette ash
Medical or sanitary waste

Human and Pet Waste

Dog feces
Cat feces
Soiled cat litter
Human feces
Diapers
Sanitary products

Problem Garden Material

Severely diseased plants
Insect-infested plants
Mature seed-bearing weeds
Invasive roots and rhizomes
Recently treated plant material when the label prohibits composting

Non-Compostable Household Materials

Glass
Metal
Ceramics
Thermal receipts
Glossy laminated paper
Synthetic fabrics
Mixed-fibre dryer lint

Ordinary-Pile Food Exclusions

Meat and fish
Dairy products
Large bones
Free cooking oil
Grease and lard
Large volumes of salty liquid

Some food exclusions may be processed in a municipal facility or product-approved microbial system. “Not for a backyard pile” does not necessarily mean that the material is incapable of biological decomposition.

How to Prepare Compostable Materials

Remove contamination.
Take off stickers, elastic bands, twist ties, staples, plastic windows, foil and packaging.
Reduce particle size.
Chop dense stems, peels, corn cobs and thick rinds to expose more surface area.
Shorten long fibres.
Cut vines, corn husks, paper strips and long stems so they do not form mats or tangles.
Drain free liquid.
Compost moist solids rather than pouring soup, brine or oil into the pile.
Break up dense clumps.
Disperse coffee grounds, flour, cooked rice and grass clippings instead of adding solid layers.
Cover kitchen scraps.
Bury food under approximately four to eight inches of dry leaves or other browns.
Mix fast and slow materials.
Combine soft scraps with leaves, shredded cardboard, small twigs and other structural material.
Screen the finished material.
Return pits, shells, cobs and woody pieces to the next active cycle.

How to Balance Greens and Browns

For a conventional backyard pile, EPA recommends adding at least two to three times the volume of browns to the volume of greens.

Greens

Food scraps
Coffee grounds
Fresh grass
Fresh weeds
Soft green prunings
Fresh plant material

Browns

Dry leaves
Straw
Shredded cardboard
Non-glossy paper
Small twigs
Untreated wood chips

Practical Backyard Formula

2–3 Containers of Browns
+
1 Container of Greens
+
Enough Water for a Wrung-Out-Sponge Feel
+
Airflow and Occasional Turning

The biological explanation is covered in How Does Composting Work?

Compostable Does Not Mean It Should Be Wasted

Edible bread, fruit, vegetables, grains and leftovers may be compostable, but composting does not recover the grocery value or the water, land, energy and labor used to produce them.

Use safe edible food first. Freeze it, repurpose it, share it or move it into an “Eat First” area. Compost peels, cores, shells, trimmings and food that can no longer serve its original purpose.

Build the prevention step with How to Reduce Food Waste at Home.

What Can GEME Terra II Compost?

Terra II is designed for everyday kitchen bio-waste rather than bulk garden waste. It maintains a warm, moist and oxygen-rich microbial chamber and accepts a broader range of food than a conventional backyard pile.

Material Group	Terra II Guidance	Boundary
Fruit and vegetable scraps	Suitable for normal feeding.	Cut dense, fibrous or oversized pieces.
Cooked grains and leftovers	Suitable as part of a varied input mix.	Drain free liquid and avoid one large dense starch load.
Meat and fish	Accepted in normal household quantities.	Large bones and oversized hard pieces remain unsuitable.
Dairy products	Accepted as part of mixed kitchen input.	Avoid a large single load of liquid dairy.
Small chicken and fish bones	Accepted according to current product guidance.	Do not add large dense bones.
Oily or salty leftovers	Ordinary food residue may be included modestly.	Do not pour in free oil, concentrated brine or excessive salty liquid.
Coffee grounds and eggshells	Suitable for normal mixed feeding.	Disperse dense coffee grounds and expect shells to remain longer.
Paper towels and cardboard	Small amounts of approved uncoated material can provide carbon.	Shred into small square pieces; never add long strips or whole sheets.
Grass, leaves and garden trimmings	Not the machine’s primary feedstock.	Use a backyard or municipal garden-waste route instead.
Packaging and non-food objects	Not accepted.	Remove plastic, metal, glass, stickers, strings and rubber bands.

GEMEBrain™ adjusts heat, airflow, moisture and mixing automatically, reducing the manual balancing associated with a traditional pile. Automation does not make every organic object suitable.

Review the complete product-specific boundaries in What Can You Put in an Electric Composter? and Electric Composter Salt & Oil Boundaries.

GEME Terra II processing suitable household kitchen food scraps through microbial composting

Broader Kitchen Input, Clear Material Boundaries.
A managed microbial system for everyday household food scraps.

Compost More of the Food Your Backyard Pile Cannot Handle

Terra II combines Kobold™ living microbes, continuous feeding and GEMEBrain™ adaptive control to process everyday kitchen organics, including suitable mixed leftovers, meat, dairy and small bones.

Explore Terra II → Compare Home Composting Methods →

Terra II is designed for kitchen bio-waste, not bulk yard debris or unrestricted garbage disposal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you compost at home?

Most home piles can compost fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, paper coffee filters, crushed eggshells, healthy garden plants, grass clippings, dry leaves, straw, small twigs and shredded uncoated cardboard.

What food scraps can be composted?

Fruit peels, vegetable trimmings, cores, coffee grounds, loose tea leaves, eggshells, small amounts of bread, plain grains and plant-based leftovers can be composted. Bury food scraps under dry carbon material.

Can you compost cooked food?

Small amounts of plain plant-based cooked food can enter a well-managed enclosed pile. Oily, salty, meat-containing or dairy-containing leftovers are better suited to an accepting municipal or managed microbial system.

Can you compost meat?

Avoid meat in an ordinary backyard pile because it can create odor and attract animals. Meat may be accepted by selected industrial facilities and product-approved managed microbial systems such as Terra II.

Can you compost dairy?

Dairy is not recommended for ordinary home piles. Some municipal facilities and managed systems accept it under controlled conditions.

Can you compost bread?

Yes. Tear bread into smaller pieces, add only modest amounts and bury it beneath dry leaves or other browns to reduce pest attraction.

Can you compost citrus peels?

Citrus peels can be composted in an ordinary backyard pile. Chop thick peels and mix them with varied materials. Limit large citrus loads in a worm bin.

Can you compost onions and garlic?

Yes, in a normal aerobic pile. Chop and mix them through the material. Worm-bin guidance commonly recommends limiting strongly aromatic foods such as onion and garlic.

Can you compost eggshells?

Yes. Crushing eggshells increases surface area, but visible shell fragments may remain in the finished compost and can be screened back into the active pile.

Can you compost coffee grounds?

Yes. Coffee grounds are treated as nitrogen-rich green material. Disperse them through the pile rather than creating one dense layer.

Can you compost tea bags?

Compost loose tea leaves freely. Compost the bag only when it is verified as paper and plastic-free, and remove staples, labels and synthetic string.

Can you compost grass clippings?

Yes, but mix them with dry leaves, straw or cardboard. Thick layers of fresh grass compact easily and restrict oxygen.

Can you compost weeds?

Compost young weeds before they produce seed. Keep seeded weeds, invasive roots and plants capable of regrowing from fragments out of an ordinary home pile.

Can you compost diseased plants?

Diseased plants should generally stay out of ordinary household piles because all material may not reach conditions sufficient to control the pathogen.

Can you compost cardboard?

Plain uncoated cardboard can be shredded and composted. Remove tape, labels, staples, plastic windows and waxed or laminated sections.

Can you compost compostable plastic at home?

Only when the product explicitly states that it is suitable for home composting. Most items labeled simply “compostable” are intended for industrial facilities.

Can dog or cat waste be composted?

Do not place dog feces, cat feces or soiled cat litter in compost intended for food gardens. They may contain parasites and human pathogens.

What can Terra II compost?

Terra II accepts everyday kitchen organics including fruits, vegetables, grains, ordinary leftovers, meat, dairy and suitable small bones. Packaging, excessive free liquid, large hard bones, long stringy materials and bulk garden waste remain outside its normal input range.

Summary Checklist

Usually Compost

Fruit and vegetable scraps
Coffee grounds and paper filters
Loose tea leaves
Crushed eggshells
Healthy garden plants
Grass clippings mixed with browns
Dry leaves and straw
Small untreated twigs
Shredded plain cardboard
Non-glossy paper

Compost With Care

Bread, rice and pasta
Oily or salty cooked foods
Tea bags
Fruit pits and corn cobs
Wood ash
Sawdust and wood chips
Herbivore manure
Seed-bearing weeds
Certified compostable packaging
Meat and dairy in approved systems

Keep Out

Plastic and produce stickers
Glass, metal and ceramics
Pet and human waste
Diseased plants
Invasive roots and rhizomes
Treated wood and sawdust
Coal or charcoal ash
Cleaning chemicals and solvents
Synthetic fabric and mixed lint
Free oil and concentrated brine

Authoritative Sources

Guidance reviewed July 30, 2026. Municipal acceptance rules and product-specific input limits vary. Always verify local collection guidance and the instructions for the composting system being used.

Moist compost base created from suitable kitchen bio-waste in GEME Terra II

Know the Material. Choose the Right Process.
Composting works best when each input enters the system designed to handle it.

Turn Everyday Kitchen Scraps Into a Living Compost Base

Terra II supports continuous microbial processing of suitable household food scraps with GEMEBrain™ adaptive control and permanent odor purification.

View Terra II → Start Composting at Home →

Prevent edible waste first. Separate suitable scraps. Return the resulting compost base to soil responsibly.