What should I put in the bin ?

Anything organic- that is anything that was once living, whether animal or vegetable can be composted but some materials are more appropriate than others for home composting. Organic material falls into two categories : “Green” & “Brown” .“Green” or “Nitrogen Rich” organic material is wet and often green like grass clippings or fruit and vegetables.“Brown” or “Carbon Rich” organic material is dry, woody material that is usually brown, such as fallen leaves, and tree-cuttings . The following list of materials can be composted at home. It has been separated into “Green”and “Brown” for simple identification.

GREEN

BROWN

Coffee grounds
Tea leaves and tea bags
Fruit and vegetable waste (cooked or uncooked) - roots, cores, etc
Bread, pasta & rice
Cut and dead flowers
Manure from any vegetarian pets (Good Activator) #
Grass cuttings and green leaves (Good Activator) #
Weeds (Avoid weed seeds)
Old plants (Not diseased)
Seaweed or garden-pond cleanings (Good Activator)#

# Activators are the primary food of the organisms, and help to establish the bin or speed up the process

Egg shells
Kitchen paper
Newspaper*
Papers and light cardboard ,e.g. cereal or shoe boxes (crumpled)*
Pet hairs and human hairs
Wood/peat/peat ashes ( no coal ashes)
Tree prunings and woody material ( chopped )
Hay and straw
Sawdust or wood shaving

* Newspapers, cardboard and paper can be added in small crumpled amounts but it is better to recycle them if you can