top of page
Loyalty program icon

What can (and cannot) be composted by Richland Farms?

Generally, organic waste (rubbish) is compostable, while inorganic waste (garbage or trash) isn't. This means waste that was once a living thing can be composted—including food, plants, and waste from our bodies (e.g., hair).

​

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.

​

In general, here are some common examples of what you can supply for composting—and what should stay out. You'll find more value in focusing on the non-compostable list with the understanding that everything else that's organic can be sent along for composting!

Due to public health regulations, 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 ​game animals.

​

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

​

We do not accept dog and cat feces/litter.

​

For safety reasons, 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.

❌ Do NOT compost

  • Compostable tote liners

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

  • Uncooked meats, fish, and seafoods (fresh, frozen, or thawed)

  • 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)

  • Generally anything containing an adhesive component

  • 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

  • Used 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

  • Glossy 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, cat poo, and/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 err on the side of caution with these claims. There are also very subtle differentiations between products that are "home compostable," "compostable at a vegetative composting facility (like Richland Farms)," and "compostable at an industrial composting facility." In Indiana, the nearest industrial composting facility is located in the Chicago-metro area. These subtle differences play a big part in how effectively a product will process into finished compost. Please reach out with questions when you're in doubt. 

✅ DO compost

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

  • Fruit and vegetable scraps/peels

  • Natural latex and biodegradable nitrile disposable gloves (bagged, bucketed, or boxed seperately)

  • Food prep gloves (BPI certified compostable)

  • Rotten or moldy food

  • Cut flowers that are past their prime

  • Lard, butter, and solidified cooking fats (wrapped in unwaxed paper, boxed, or brown grocery bagged)

  • 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 and husks

  • Cooked meat scraps

  • Cooked fish bodies, scales, and heads

  • Cooked lobster, crab, shrimp, and crayfish shells

  • Animal and fish bones that have been cooked or stewed

  • Nuts and their shells

  • Grains

  • Paper towels and cardboard tubes

  • Dairy products (milk should be drain disposed)

  • Cardboard or paper egg cartons

  • Books (with covers and binding stripped)

  • Burlap sacks (ripped or shredded into strips)

  • Jute

  • Compostable utensils and dry goods made by Responsible Products™️

  • Paper napkins

  • Paper shopping bags (ripped or shredded into strips)

  • Feathers

  • Animal hides and skins (must be scraped clean (fleshed) and ground or cut into strips)

  • Plain, non-glossy paper

  • Clean cardboard (with tape and shipping labels removed, bundled with twine, and set beside tote)

  • Cotton balls and Q-Tips

  • Natural fabric dryer lint

  • Newspaper

  • Used matches

  • Natural loofah sponges

  • Nail clippings (unpainted)

  • Hair from hairbrush

  • Expired or unused pet food (removed from packaging)

  • Alfalfa pellets and hay

  • Straw

  • Wine corks

  • Wool and cotton clothing / fabric

  • Unfiltered cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco

  • Pencil shavings

  • Brown (unwaxed) Kraft paper

  • Bamboo products

  • 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

  • Natural ropes and twines

  • 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)

  • Lumber and wood strips

  • Wooden pallets made from untreated wood and without glues (shredded and nails decontaminated)

  • Moldy hay and silage

  • Animal bedding

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

bottom of page
Consent Preferences