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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).

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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 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.

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

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We do not accept dog and cat feces/litter.

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For safety reasons, we ask for liquids to be "drain disposed."

❌ Do NOT compost

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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 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​

✅ 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 container)

  • 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

  • Burlap sacks (ripped or shredded into strips)

  • Jute

  • Compostable utensils made by Responsible™️ Products

  • Paper napkins

  • Brown paper shopping bags (ripped or shredded into strips)

  • Feathers

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

  • Paper

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

  • Cotton balls and Q-Tips

  • Natural fabric dryer lint

  • Newspaper

  • Magazines (remove both covers and adhesive binding, bundle and set beside tote)

  • 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.

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