Wednesday 25 May 2016

20+ THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD NOT THROW IN THE COMPOST HEAP

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.
9. Coated or Printed paper – One simple trick to use as a sticky reminder is to simply never print. There is no longer a need to do this and its impact on the environment remains negative.
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

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