7 of the Worst Possible Things to Compost

Starting a compost is a great way to put those table scraps to use. It also helps with any type of garden you are growing. If you are getting bored at home, and new project is enticing. Composting is a new project that can benefit your garden and environment.

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To have the most efficient compost pile it’s important to know items you should not put in it.

If you are new to starting your own compost check out this article I shared about starting one here.

Here is a list of items to NOT put into your compost pile.

7 of the Worst Possible Things to Compost

Meat

Why? The smell will attract predators and if you have any chickens or other livestock, this isn’t an ideal situation. Meat also decomposes slower and honestly the smell isn’t worth it to me. It’s nasty!

Fat

Things like cooking oil, bones and fat will slow down the process too. And not to mention it attracts unwanted guests to your compost pile/bin.

Cat Litter

You may be thinking it’s almost like an outdoor trash can, but it’s not. Cat litter can damage the compost structure and cause synthetic toxins to leak in your garden. This is for cat litter that is clay, sand, or crystalline based.

Citrus Peels & Onions

We don’t want our chickens eating these, and they also are not the best for the compost pile. Since our compost pile is out in the open, we avoid these. The acidity from orange peels can be too much for the worms in the pile. Of course you could add these in small amounts and always cut up into smaller pieces. Both decompose slower.

Ashes from The Grill

It may seem tempting to toss in the ashes from your grill, but it is best to avoid. If you have additive free coals you could add those.

Treated Wood

If you finished up a project and have a bunch of sawdust from treated wood, skip adding it to the compost. You don’t want any of the toxins in your compost bin.