Where to Get Extra Composting Materials

Want to compost, but need more greens or browns for your compost pile? Check with local vendors, as many businesses give away great compostable material!

Nitrogen (greens)

• Barbers - hair, if concerned, try to make sure hair was not color-treated or permed
• Grocery Stores - usually stores will set out for pick up bad produce and their trimmings of sellable produce
• Pet groomers - pet hair, if concerned, find out if pet was sprayed with any flea-killing spray
• Juice Bars - pureed fruit
• Coffee shops - coffee grounds, ask them to save a day’s worth of coffee grounds for you
• Local farmers - chicken, rabbit, goat, and cow-manure is great to compost. Remember, you don’t want to use manure from any meat eater, including cats and dogs.
• Neighbors and friends - ask your neighbors and friends to save their produce scraps for you
• Breweries - spent hops

Carbon (browns)

• Leaves - many cities have a leaf drop-off every fall, and composters frequently grab people as they enter these sites to get their bags of great, compostable leaves
• Yardwaste collection sites - all year round, most cities have a yardwaste drop-off center.