What are you Upcycling in Your Compost Bin?

Slowly but surely the little critters who have taken up residence in my compost bin are eating and pooping their way through my table scraps and garden clippings.  Sometimes it's a challenge to come up with compostable trash when you live alone, one certainly doesn't produce the waste that a family of four does.  If you have the same problem or simply want to compost more here are some things that maybe you haven't considered before:

1.  Dryer lint - or that disgusting wad of lint you pulled off your refrigerator coils

2.  Pet hair - Although I live alone, there is certainly an abundance of pet hair in my apartment

3. Wine - though you'd have to leave some in the bottle (or box, if you prefer) to compost
4.  Burlap

5.  Fish bones

6.  Cotton balls/swabs (with cardboard sticks, not plastic)

7.  Egg Shells - or crush up and spread them around your plants to keep snails and other would be predators from chomping on your plants

8.  Coffee Grounds/Tea Leaves - Coffee grounds are also terrific added straight to the soil surrounding acid loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and roses.

9.  Jello

10. Old Pasta and rice - plain and cooked

11.  Elmer's Glue

12. Cage Droppings from your herbivorous pets (birds, bunnies, guinea pigs) - don't forget the bedding, it's an excellent source of carbon for the pile

13. Crustacean Shells (shrimp, lobster, crab)

14.  Wool Socks or any other natural fiber clothing; cotton, hemp, etc.

15.  and my favorite...Toenail Clippings!  Seriously....Google it!

And for a little bonus, I couldn't quite bring myself to add this to my list but this article is really a funny read.

Happy Composting!

Introduction

Welcome to Upcycled Stuff's new blog!  This will accompany our Facebook fan page to help you live a greener life.  We'll give you simple tips that you can incorporate into your daily life and we'll even give you some more complex and fun ideas. I hope you enjoy the blog!