Composting

One way to live a bit greener is to make a compost pile in the backyard. Composting is putting items together in a pile and letting them biodegrade naturally, then using the result as a fertilizer for plants or lawns. Only biodegradable items can be composted, but there are many things we throw away daily that we really didn't know we could compost! I found this really interesting article on 75 different things we didn't know we could compost, and that get disposed of everyday. Some of the items on the list are really random, but I think overall it offers some helpful advice. I highlighted some of the ones that surprised me or I thought were kind of interesting.
http://green.yahoo.com/blog/care2/91/75-things-you-didn-t-know-you-could-compost.html;_ylt=AjT5YgBtIIYRzw8wZ1.KtvrDV8cX

75 things you didn't know you could compost

By Samantha, selected from Planet Green

Posted Thu Sep 30, 2010 10:16am PDT

Here are 75 ideas to get you started.

From the Kitchen

1. Coffee grounds and filters
2. Tea bags
3. Used paper napkins
4. Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
5. Paper bags, either ripped or balled up
6. The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors
7. Plain cooked pasta
8. Plain cooked rice
9. Stale bread
10. Paper towel rolls
11. Stale saltine crackers
12. Stale cereal
13. Used paper plates (as long as they don't have a waxy coating)
14. Cellophane bags (be sure it's really Cellophane and not just clear plastic -- there's a difference.)
15. Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
16. Old herbs and spices
17. Stale pretzels
18. Pizza crusts
19. Cereal boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first)
20. Wine corks
21. Moldy cheese
22. Melted ice cream
23. Old jelly, jam, or preserves
24. Stale beer and wine
25. Paper egg cartons
26. Toothpicks
27. Bamboo skewers
28. Paper cupcake or muffin cups

From the Bathroom

1. Used facial tissues
2. Hair from your hairbrush
3. Toilet paper rolls
4. Old loofahs
5. Nail clippings
6. Urine
7. 100% cotton cotton balls
8. Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks

From the Laundry Room

1. Dryer lint
2. Old/stained cotton clothing -- rip or cut it into smaller pieces
3. Old wool clothing -- rip or cut it into smaller pieces

From the Office

1. Bills and other documents you've shredded
2. Envelopes (minus the plastic window)
3. Pencil shavings
4. Sticky notes
5. Business cards (as long as they're not glossy)
6. Receipts

Around the House

1. Contents of your vacuum cleaner bag or canister
2. Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces)
3. Subscription cards from magazines
4. Leaves trimmed from houseplants
5. Dead houseplants and their soil
6. Flowers from floral arrangements
7. Natural potpourri
8. Used matches
9. Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit

Party and Holiday Supplies

1. Wrapping paper rolls
2. Paper table cloths
3. Crepe paper streamers
4. Latex balloons
5. Raffia
6. Excelsior
7. Jack o' Lanterns
8. Those hay bales you used as part of your outdoor fall decor
9. Natural holiday wreaths
10. Your Christmas tree -- chop it up with some pruners first (or use a wood chipper, if you have one)
11. Evergreen garlands

Pet-Related

1. Fur from the dog or cat brush
2. Droppings and bedding from your rabbit/gerbil/hamsters, etc.
3. Newspaper/droppings from the bottom of the bird cage
4. Feathers
5. Alfalfa hay or pellets (usually fed to rabbits)
6. Rawhide dog chews
7. Fish food
8. Dry dog or cat food