At Happy Scraps Composting, we make composting easy and accessible by accepting a wide range of compostable materials—but not everything can break down properly in our system. Below, you’ll find a full guide to what you can and cannot compost with us, so you can make the most of your compost pickup service.
✅ What You CAN Compost
We accept most kitchen scraps, yard waste, and compostable materials. Here’s what you can toss into your Happy Scraps bin:
🍎 Food Scraps & Organic Waste
- Fruit & vegetable scraps (including citrus)
- Coffee grounds & filters
- Tea bags (must be plastic-free)
- Eggshells
- Bonus points if you bake the shells for 25 minutes at 250F, or if you keep them in a cardboard carton outside of your liner bag so I can do so. This makes the nutrients more bioavailable!
- Cooked or uncooked grains (rice, pasta, bread, etc.)
- Plain oats & cereal
- Nut shells (except walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
- Unused or expired yeast & sourdough starter
- Kombucha mother
- Flour
- Beans (cooked or uncooked)
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, etc.)
- Meat
- Bones*, Shellfish Shells*, & Exoskeletons* (meaning Shrimp, Crap, Lobster, etc)
- IF AND ONLY IF the bones and shells are stored in your bin in a separate sealed impermeable bag (plastic is fine for this)
- Pro-Tip: If you bake your bones or shellfish before adding to your second bag, you’ll reduce odors in your bin AND make the nutrients more bioavailable for composting. For best results, do the following:
- Bones: Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or longer
- Shells: Bake at 450-500F for 20 minutes or longer
- Exoskeletons: Bake at 325F for 20-25 minutes
- Pro-Tip: If you bake your bones or shellfish before adding to your second bag, you’ll reduce odors in your bin AND make the nutrients more bioavailable for composting. For best results, do the following:
- IF AND ONLY IF the bones and shells are stored in your bin in a separate sealed impermeable bag (plastic is fine for this)
🌿 Yard Waste & Natural Materials
- Leaves & grass clippings
- Dead houseplants
- Plant trimmings & flowers
- Used potting soil
- Sawdust & untreated wood shavings
- Weeds
- Charcoal from natural wood fires*
- NOT briquettes with additives
- Wood ash*
- Must be from untreated wood, must not be from cooking charcoal
📦 Things you didn’t think you could compost – but you can with Happy Scraps!
- Pizza boxes*
- No plastic, wax, or metal lining
- Corrugated cardboard*
- NO tape, stickers, or adhesives—must remove or cut away before composting
- Paper napkins, paper towels, & tissue*
- If and only if free from chemicals or other inorganic or non-compostable materials
- Uncoated paper plates & paper food containers
- Shredded newspaper (black-and-white print only)
- Compostable plastics*
- Must be clearly labeled as compostable so I can verify before adding to active compost
- Some animal beddings*
- Only paper, straw, or wood based animal bedding
- Common examples: rabbit, hamster, and guinea pig bedding, wood cat litter, etc
- Only paper, straw, or wood based animal bedding
- Hair (animal or otherwise)
- Nail clippings
- 100% cotton, wool, silk, linen scraps or threads
- Wine corks (not plastic)
- Wood or bamboo skewers, popsicle sticks, chopsticks, and toothpicks
- Dust and dust bunnies
❌ What You CAN’T Compost
Some materials take too long to break down, introduce harmful bacteria, or disrupt the composting process. To keep our compost clean and effective, please DO NOT compost the following items:
🚫 Salt-cured or Heavily Salted Foods
- Fats, oils, and greases
- Salty foods (excess salt disrupts microbial balance)
🚫 Non-Compostable Packaging & Plastics
- Plastic bags & non-compostable plastics
- Waxed, coated, or plastic-lined paper products
- Stickers, tape, or adhesive (remove or cut away from from cardboard before composting)
🚫 Other Non-Compostables
- Treated or painted wood
- Synthetic fabrics (polyester, nylon, etc.)
Still Not Sure? Ask Me!
Not sure if something belongs in your compost bin? Shoot me a text or give me a call at (828) 484-6944, and I’ll be happy to help! You can also reach me by email from the contact page.
Composting should be easy and stress-free, and Happy Scraps is here to make sure you get the most out of it. Thank you for helping Asheville stay green! 🌱♻