Compost Components

A quick list of what you can and can’t compost. 

Nitrogen- rich ingredients 'Greens'  

Grass cuttings  

Young weeds 

Nettles (not roots) 

Comfrey leaves 

Uncooked fruit and vegetable peelings 

Tea bags, leaves and coffee grounds 

Soft green prunings 

Animal manure from herbivores eg cows and horses 

Poultry manure 

carbon-rich ingredients 'Browns'  

Cardboard eg cereal packets, toilet roll tubes and egg boxes 

Waste paper and junk mail, including shredded confidential waste 

Paper towels & bags 

Bedding (hay, straw, shredded paper, wood shavings) from vegetarian pets eg rabbits and guinea pigs 

Tough hedge clippings 

Woody prunings 

Old bedding plants 

Straw 

Other compostable items 

Wood ash, in moderation 

Hair, nail clippings 

Egg shells 

Natural fibres, e.g. wool and cotton