What can you compost?

• Vegetable and fruit peelings - mixed together these are excellent - high in essential nitrogen and carbon
• Tea leaves, coffee grounds and crushed egg shells
• Weeds - the heat generated inside the bin by the decomposition process will ensure most wees seeds and diseases are destroyed. However pernicious weeds such as couch grass, bindweed or creeping buttercup should be avoided as they love compost heaps and will keep on growing.
• Grass cuttings - high in nitrogen and a good activator. Avoid thick layers as they can compact and turn to lime. If you have a lot of grass, mix it with more woody material and kitchen scraps.
• Hair - off your pet or family - no problem.
• Paper - paper and soft cardboard such as egg trays can be added in small amounts but ideally should be shredded or scrunched up.
• Evergreen clippings - only add in small amounts as take a long time to decompose
• Leaves - contain lignin and take a long time to decompose, the same as wood. Best dealt with separately in leaf mould piles.
• Prunings - only add small amounts and chop up well.
• Straw and hay - old and chopped is best. Soak well before adding if dry.
• Animal manure - vegetarian pets only, such as guinea pig or rabbits. Best mixed with straw. Very good activators.
• Vacuum dust - the contents of a vacuum cleaner sack compost well particularly of you have wool carpets.