1.
Bread – In
this category, cakes and pastas have been included. All forms of residue left
behind are a magnetized attraction for unwanted pests.
2.
Cooking oil – It
is perceived as food by pests. Also its chemical content can upset the balance
of nutrients in the compost.
3.
Dairy products – Like
bread or grain products, these products are also a favoured food source for
pests and can also attract wildlife or flies..
4.
Diseased plants – These
carry fungus and harmful bacteria which can be transferred to the organic
nutrients of the compost heap.
5.
Plants that challenge and invade – Otherwise known as weeds, these plants won’t decompose
but grow instead.
6.
Faeces – The
bacterial content from both human and carnivorous animals, mainly to do with
consumed meat, is hazardous which might contain pathogens.
7.
Meat scraps – Apart
from the bacterial hazard, contents such as blood, bones and fleshy residues
are also attractive to pests.
8.
Heavily coated paper – These
are broadly categorized to include things such as greeting cards, magazines and
writing pads. Apart from its chemical content, its high foil content is
non-compostable.
10.
Rice – In two parts, rice
is unsuitable for the compost heap. Raw rice is attractive to pests, while
cooked rice is fertile ground for bacteria, potentially harmful to the
compost’s nutrients.
11.
Sawdust – It
is not feasible to identify whether wood has been treated with chemicals and
other harmful ingredients or not. It is better not to toss sawdust into the
compost heap at all.
12.
Used personal items – All
used personal items such as tampons and diapers are soiled with human fluids
and are health hazards.
13.
Tea and Coffee bags – Tea and coffee should only be added in compose pile if
they are bag less. Some bags contain synthetic fibres that do not break down in
a compost pile.
14.
Citrus Peels, onions and garlic scraps – They should be avoided as they might scare of useful
bacteria and insects or kill worms and other organisms..
15.
Coal ash – It
may contain so much sulphur that it may make soil excessively acidic.
16.
Large branches – They take long time to break down. It is better to cut
them down into smaller pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will
break down.
17.
Synthetic Fertilizer – Synthetic fertilizer may upset the balance of
nutrients in the soil and may increase.
18.
Dead animals – They should better be buried underground.
19.
Inorganic materials, such as polyester, plastic, acrylic, rubber etc. – Plastic products take
much longer to compost. So, it’s better to keep them off your compost bins.
20.
Manure from sick animals – Manure is a great product to be used in compost pile.
But this should be used only is you are sure that it hasn’t come from sick
animals or from animals taking antibiotics.
21.
Walnuts – They
contain jug lone, a natural aromatic compound considered toxic to plant life.
22.
Pretty much anything that is poisonous – This should be a case of stating the obvious.
Proactive measures entail checking product labels.
23.
Not even torn or shredded bits of clothing – Even the tiniest bits of fiber can contain harmful
substances and invariably do contain chemicals. Also, there is the question of
dye from the clothing material’s colorants.
By now you may have come to realize that even the best
intentions have their consequences.
Source: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/things-that-you-should-never-put-in-compost-heap.php
On the surface ‘Recycling’ seems clear and simple,
however as you go deeper into the process you
realise that things can get a bit tricky, when you discover that some
glass, paper and lots of plastic can’t be recycled. Actually throwing out items into the
recycling bin that you were convinced can be recycled, but actually can’t be,
can worsen the environment…what a downer!
