But in the hours I have spent pouring over compost information online, I have discovered some pretty “fringe” ideas on what you can compost that I have not yet tried.
Toenail and Fingernail Clippings
Really? Something tells me our landfills are not going to
overflow with nail clippings no matter how often you get out the clippers.
Nails are made of a tough protein called keratin which eventually will
decompose. I don’t know why, but once trimmed off nail clippings completely
gross me out. Especially other people’s nails. Yuck.
Cotton Swabs and Balls
Check to make sure the cotton swab is made of all cotton or
cardboard (no plastic), but after you clean your ears, nose, or whatever (I
don’t want to know) you can toss them in the compost bin. Just make sure they
are chemical and medicine free.
Vacuum Cleaner Dust
Most of the stuff your vacuum sucks up is dirt, dead skin,
and hair (all compostable). So you can empty your vacuum contents into the
compost bin instead of the trash bin. Human hair is actually high in nitrogen
though it does take a long time to decompose.
Of the three, maybe I’ll give the vacuum cleaner dust a try.
I bet after dumping it in the bin, you never even see it again.
Would you try
composting one of these “gross” items?