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Green brown compost materials list Chart


The following tables list suggested green and brown materials to add to your compost pile:

GREENS (NITROGEN) BROWNS (CARBON) Avoid putting the following materials into a compost pile:
Coffee grounds and filters Animal bedding such as straw and sawdust Bones*
Droppings from poultry or rabbits Branches (small diameter is best) Cooking oils*
Grass clippings from an untreated lawn Cardboard (corrugated is best) Dairy products (milk, cheese)*
Kitchen scraps (vegetables, fruits) Dead plant material Diseased plants
Live plant material Egg cartons (made from cardboard) Manure from cattle and horses**
Seaweed (rinse off salt first) Eggshells (crush first) Meat or fish*
Tea bags Hair Weeds that are difficult to control (e.g., bindweed, quackgrass, or thistle)
Leaves, fallen
Newspaper (shred first)
Paper (shred first to speed decomposition)
Paper towels or napkins
Sawdust (do not add sawdust from treated lumber)
Straw or hay
Wood ash (use minimally as it makes soil more alkaline)

Never use animal waste from carnivorous animals—including dogs and cats—because it might contain dangerous pathogens.

Bones, cooking oils, dairy products, meat, and fish will attract rodents and scavengers.

Cattle and horse manure may contain persistent herbicides.