One of the most common questions about composting is also the simplest: what can actually go in? The answer depends a little on whether you compost at home or use a service, but the fundamentals are the same. The EPA groups compostable material into nitrogen-rich greens and carbon-rich browns.
Use the list below for an ordinary backyard pile. If your scraps go to a pickup program, use that program’s accepted-items list instead. A facility may take foods your home bin should not, and it may reject packaging that looks compostable. The destination, not the label on the bucket, decides.
Greens (nitrogen-rich)
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Coffee grounds and paper filters
- Tea leaves
- Fresh grass clippings and plant trimmings
Raw fruit and vegetable trimmings are the easiest place to begin. Cut up very large pieces if you want them to disappear sooner. Crushed eggshells can go in a backyard pile, although fragments often remain visible after the rest of the batch is ready. Plain paper tea bags are suitable only if they contain no plastic or staples; loose tea is easier to judge.
Browns (carbon-rich)
- Dry leaves
- Shredded, uncoated paper and cardboard
- Untreated wood chips and sawdust
- Plain paper towels and napkins without cleaning chemicals
Keep browns close to the bin. They absorb moisture, provide carbon, and create space for air. The EPA suggests about two to three parts browns for each part greens by volume. It is an adjustment you make by looking and smelling: add more leaves if scraps are wet or visible, and a little water if the pile is dry all the way through. Remove tape and labels from boxes before shredding them.
What to leave out of a backyard pile
Home piles usually do best without meat, dairy, and oily foods, which can attract pests and slow things down. Never add plastic, glass, metal, or anything treated with chemicals. One advantage of a service like Torus is that our processing partner can accept a wider range of food waste than a typical backyard bin. See our full acceptable food waste list for exactly what we take.
The EPA also excludes pet waste, cat litter, diseased plants, seed-bearing invasive weeds, painted or treated wood, dryer lint, and glossy paper from a typical backyard pile. Produce stickers are small but persist. Fats and oils are especially troublesome because they coat material and attract animals. Cooked food is nuanced: the EPA says small amounts can be fine, but a plate of oily or meat-heavy leftovers is not a sensible addition to a basic home pile.
Backyard piles and pickup programs have different rules
This distinction prevents a lot of confusion. A small backyard pile may never become hot enough to break down bones, dairy, meat, or certified compostable serviceware. A commercial facility can use controlled temperatures and specialized equipment, so its accepted list may be broader. Always follow the rules for the place that will actually process your scraps. A label that says “compostable” does not automatically mean an item belongs in every bin.
Collection rules are also narrower than the phrase "food waste." Some programs accept bones and dairy; others accept only plant scraps. Some use industrial composting; others send collected food to anaerobic digestion. Those routes have different equipment and contamination limits. Our meat, dairy, and cooked-food guide explains why the answer changes with the processor.
How to prepare food scraps
Remove produce stickers, rubber bands, twist ties, and packaging before collection. Chopping large pieces is optional, although smaller pieces break down faster in a home pile. Drain excess liquid from soups and sauces so a countertop container stays manageable. If pickup day is several days away, a tight lid or a freezer container can keep odors and fruit flies under control.
For a home pile, bury new scraps below the surface and cover them with four to eight inches of browns, following EPA guidance. If you collect scraps indoors, empty the pail regularly and wash it. Freezing scraps can be useful when the next pickup is several days away, particularly in hot weather. A kitchen pail is storage; it does not need to become a miniature compost pile.
Contamination matters more than perfect sorting
One plastic fork can survive the entire composting process and end up in the final material. When you are uncertain, leave the item out and check the program’s list. The EPA emphasizes reducing contamination because clean organics are easier to process and produce a more useful end product. Food itself is rarely the problem; hidden packaging is.
If you cannot identify a paper or plastic-looking material, do not guess. Compostable bags, forks, and coated cups may need a facility that specifically accepts them. A recycling symbol does not make an item compostable, and a compostable label does not mean it belongs in household recycling either. Empty food out of its packaging and sort the packaging by your local recycling rules.
A practical kitchen setup
Keep the collection point close to where scraps are made. A small pail beside the cutting board works for daily prep, while a larger sealed bucket can stay in a garage, utility room, or shaded outdoor space. Households usually succeed when the system is obvious enough that nobody has to stop and think about it.
Put a short accepted-items list near the pail if several people share the kitchen. If the bin has become a source of fruit flies, clean the rim and lid as well as the inside. For a backyard pile, exposed scraps are usually the first problem to fix. More detail is in our scrap storage guide.
The easy option
If sorting greens and browns feels like a lot, a pickup service handles the details for you. Learn what Torus is and how our free service works, then sign up.
