Now that I've explained the whys and hows, you're all composting, right? If not, you may as well start, because once the food-waste-to-energy plant gets built at the central landfill in Johnston in 2013, food waste will likely become part of the recycling program the way it is in Seattle and San Francisco now.
This list of "things you didn't know you could compost" comes from a blog called Bonzai Aphrodite (via ecoRI environmental news). I've added my own comments/annotations in italics.
- Soy/rice/almond/etc. milk
- Coffee grounds
- Fireplace ash
- Nut shells (not walnut)
- Toenail clippings
- Pet hair
- Human hair (home haircut or saved from the barber shop)
- Dryer lint
- Dust bunnies
- Innards of a vacuum bag (empty the bag into the compost)
- Burlap sacks
- Pumpkin/sunflower/sesame seeds (chop them to ensure they won't grow)
Or don't. One thing I like about using compost is getting surprise "bonus" plants that sprout from the seeds of foods I've already eaten. We added compost to a houseplant we repotted and now we've got zucchini growing in it.
- Toothpicks
- Cotton or wool clothes, cut into strips
Of course, clothing in good condition should be donated to Big Sisters or one of the many other charities that accept donated clothing.
- Stale tortilla chips/potato chips
- Stale crackers
- Domestic bird and bunny droppings
- Old potpourri
- Sawdust
- Fish food
- Dog food
- Crumbs
Or leave them out for the birds.
- Flowers
- Seaweed/nori/kelp
- Peanut shells
- Bran (wheat or oat, etc.)
- Condoms! (latex only)
- Paper towels
- Paper napkins
- Paper plates (non wax- or plastic-coated)
- Trimmings from an electric razor
- Teabags/loose-leaf tea
- Crepe paper streamers
- Q-tips (not the plastic ones)
- Old breakfast cereal
- Dead houseplants (or their dropped leaves)
- Newspaper
- Avocado pits (chop them up first)
- Frozen fruits and vegetables
- Tofu/tempeh
- Expired jam or jelly
- Feathers
- Kleenex (including 'used')
- The dead bugs on the windowsill
- Pickles
- Balloons (latex only)
- Eggshells
- Coffee filters
- Popcorn kernels (the ones at the bottom of the bucket)
- Oatmeal
- Aquatic plants (from aquariums)
- Matches
- Old loofas (real, not synthetic)
- Tampon applicators (cardboard, not plastic)
- Pencil shavings
- Holiday wreaths
- Bamboo skewers
- Old herbs and spices
- Pizza boxes (shredded)
- Cooked rice
- Cooked pasta
- Wine corks
- Paper muffin/cupcake cups
- Cotton balls
- Booze! (beer and wine)
Though it seems like a waste to me to compost it, since it can always be used for cooking when it's no longer drinkable. You're also welcome to drop off extras at my house, lol.