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​The types of rubbish that can be composted depend on many factors. You'll notice this list is a bit different than most home composting lists. That's because our compostery can process more types of rubbish than a traditional backyard bin or heap.

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In general, here are some common examples of what you can supply for composting—and what must stay out.

Due to public health policy, we cannot accept uncooked meats (frozen, fresh, or thawed); uncooked fish, crawfish, freshwater mollusks or eels; raw eggs or raw egg liquids; or uncooked seafood. This includes hides, bones, and offal from abattoirs/butcheries and field dressings from ​fishing and game animals.

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We also cannot accept food waste from hospitals and other medical facilities where communicable diseases were present (e.g., food waste from the ICU).

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We do not accept dog, cat, or primate feces/litter.

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For safety and weight conservation, we ask for liquids to be "drain disposed."

Printable Refrigerator Guide

Click or tap the PDF icon to view and print the one-page refrigerator guide.

❌ Materials NOT Allowed by Richland Farms

  • Compostable tote liners and bags

  • Sushi

  • "Industrial" organic waste (like brewer's grains, food manufacturing waste, etc.)

  • Tree debris and brush that has not been ground, chipped, or shredded 

  • Uncooked meats, fish, and seafoods (PRO-TIP: Blanch meat in boiling water for 20 minutes, broil, or grill)

  • Uncooked eggs (whole) or egg liquids (yolks and/or whites)

  • Cooking oils and cooking fats that have not solidified

  • Margarine

  • Waxed and parchment papers (including waxed milk and juice cartons)

  • Man-made materials (including but not limited to cardboard tubes, shipping boxes, pizza boxes, paper bags, newspapers, or magazines)

  • Generally anything containing an adhesive component (glue)

  • Nitrile disposable gloves

  • Stickers (including produce stickers)

  • Diseased plants

  • Clam, oyster, snail, and mollusk shells

  • Turtle shells

  • Chemically treated or inorganically fertilized yard clippings (within the last eight weeks)

  • Diapers and wipes

  • Bandages, wound dressings, and casts

  • Medical waste

  • Candles

  • Aluminum foil

  • Feminine hygiene products

  • Synthetic soaps

  • Detergents (liquid or powder form)

  • Cellophane

  • Magazines

  • Styrofoam

  • Pressure, chemical, or creosote treated lumber, particle board, or MDF 

  • Produce netting

  • Filtered cigarettes (okay to recycle after removal of filter)

  • Unused charcoal briquettes with lighter fluid added

  • Colored paper

  • Wrapping paper

  • Bows and ribbons

  • Paper or cardboard with Sharpie markings

  • Paper or cardboard with shipping labels, glue, or tape

  • Paper (including newspaper) with colored printing

  • Glossy or coated paper

  • Deceased animals and birds

  • Dog poo or used kitty litter

  • Synthetic (inorganic) fertilizers

  • Synthetic sponges

  • Poisonous plant cuttings (e.g., poison ivy, poison oak, certain mushrooms)

  • Brick chips

  • Cinder block chips

  • Topsoil

  • Potting mix

  • Sand

  • Gravel

  • Drywall and plaster

  • Concrete, cement, and mortar

  • Synthetic insulation materials​

Many products claim to be compostable. Some may even indicate certifications like BPI, USDA, Intertek, and NSF International. As consumers of these products it is important to ALWAYS err on the side of caution with these claims. There are subtle differentiations between products that are "home compostable," "compostable at a composting facility," and "compostable at an industrial facility." These subtle differences play a big part in how well a product will process into finished compost.

 

Richland Farms only accepts and processes compostable dryware known to be manufactured by Responsible Products. 

Richland Farms reserves the right to refuse collection of materials that are not acceptable. Standard decontamination fee is $2.00 per gallon.

✅ Materials Allowed by Richland Farms

Food Waste (Placed in Brown Totes)

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  • "Leftovers"

  • Fruit and vegetable scraps/peels -- produce stickers must be removed

  • Rotten or moldy food

  • Cut flowers that are past their prime

  • Lard, butter, and solidified cooking fats (wrapped in a brown grocery bag)

  • Washed egg shells

  • Baked goods

  • Pantry items (remove original packaging)

  • Coffee grounds (drain in a bowl on a paper towel for several hours)

  • Paper coffee filters

  • Tea bags

  • Spices

  • Rice

  • Beans

  • Expired flour, sugar, chocolate chips, and baking mixes

  • Rhinds, husks, and seeds

  • Cooked meat scraps

  • Cooked fish bodies, scales, and heads

  • Cooked lobster, crab, shrimp, and crayfish

  • Animal and fish bones that have been cooked or stewed

  • Nuts and their shells

  • Grains

  • Paper towels and napkins

  • Dairy products (milk and ice cream should be drain disposed)

  • Pulp egg crates

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Lawn and Garden Waste (Bagged in Lawn and Leaf Bags)

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  • Tree debris and brush that has been ground, chipped, or shredded

  • Alfalfa pellets and hay

  • Straw

  • Grass clippings

  • Spent wood mulch

  • Twigs and leaves (stripped from branches and bagged in paper)

  • Dry biochar, fireplace, firepit, and grill ashes (bagged in paper)

  • Flowers

  • Pine needles and cones

  • Moldy hay and silage

  • Animal bedding

  • Sawdust

  • Wood shavings

  • Leaves

  • Peat pots

  • Hard boiled Easter eggs

  • Christmas trees and greenery

  • Wreaths and grave blankets (with wires removed)

  • Pumpkins

  • Corn shocks and cobs

  • Straw bales (with wire and/or twine removed)

  • Expired or unused pet food (removed from packaging)

  • Feathers

It is impossible to anticipate everything. Please reach out to info@richlandfarms.net with questions about anything not covered by this list.

Richland Farms is permitted by Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to vegetatively compost feedstocks by a registration under the authority of IC 13-20-10.

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Richland Farms is a brand of Dagger eco-Solutions LLC © 2026 Dagger eco-Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.

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"A nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself." — President Franklin D. Roosevelt

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