Yaaaaaay. Compost away. Don't compost plastic, metal, glass, bricks, or wood ash. A) Cold Composting. But don’t worry, here’s a list of the best ways to mess up your compost! 16. The jury is still out on whether onion peels can be added to a compost pile. Compost adds nutrients back into your soil, but not everything belongs there. Pretty much everything else is fair game, provided that it was once alive. Cold composting is when you simply collect yard waste and put it into a pile or bin. Being a slower and less efficient process, cold composting is unsuitable for composting natural fibre fabrics. (Aaaaaaand…I’ve actually done all of these…) Here’s how NOT to compost: Compost is not only a great way to add nutrients to your garden, it’s also a good way to increase the organic content and complexity of your soil, making it more porous and able to hold water during a drought. Remember to tend your pile and keep track of what you throw in. We’ve made a guide to things you can compost, can sometimes compost, and should never try to compost. They not only will fail to help your compost improve, but they also can kill the microbial activity that is necessary for healthy compost. It is better not to toss sawdust into the compost heap at all. Synthetic soaps. If you want to use eggshells directly, you can also direct compost them in an area where you’re planning to plant/grow tomatoes in the coming months. Cold composting can take up to a year to occur and is a great and easy way to compost. Composting is an eco-friendly alternative to throwing items in the trash—you not only reduce landfill waste but also gain a nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden. Typically, cold composting does not involve organic trash material from your house like vegetables, fruit, eggshells, etc. In fact, understanding what not to put in a compost ensures that the end product is safe for your garden use. 16. are not going to add any value to your compost heap. Not.) Onion Peels. Not only can eggs go in the compost, but cardboard egg cartons can go in the compost pile as well! Once you get into the habit, it’s actually easy to compost. Soaps shouldn’t go in your compost, other than those certified as biodegradable. Materials such as plastic, aluminum, and other metals, glass, synthetic fibers etc. 17. Though they are not necessarily toxic to the plant it will remain as it is and would be of no help in the composting process. The slower, cold composting methods take anywhere from three months to a year, will NOT kill disease pathogens or weed seeds and roots, and produce a coarser compost. As the name suggests they are not going to get decomposed in the pile. All used personal items such as tampons and diapers are soiled with human fluids and are health hazards. What You Should Not Put Into Your Compost Do not add these chemicals to your compost pile. Composting reduces trash output and provides an excellent soil amendment for gardens. If you do not have space for an outdoor compost pile, you can compost materials indoors using a special type of bin, which you can buy at a local hardware store, gardening supplies store, or make yourself. Used Personal Items. In your compost, you want to put brown and green materials. Maybe you are just starting composting, and want to avoid trouble, or maybe you tried and it just didn’t turn into the crumbly, earthy goodness we all imagine.