What's so great about composting?
For starters, there really is nothing better for soil than compost. It not only loosens clay soils, but it helps sandy soils retain water. And best of all, it contains no petroleum-based compounds, as many commercial fertilizers do. Gardens that use compost produce much higher yields of healthy fruits, vegetables and flowers. Plus, landfills across the world are running out of space. In fact, according to a recent EPA estimate, almost a quarter of the garbage in this country is composed of food scraps and yard trimmings. Believe it or not, that's about 60 million tons every year. So if you're not composting yet, it's definitely time to start.

Here's a list of household items that can be composted:
Vegetables
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea and tea bags
Crushed eggshells (but not eggs)
Nutshells
Houseplants
Leaves
Cardboard rolls, cereal
Boxes, brown paper bags
Clean paper
Paper towels
Shredded newspaper
Fireplace ashes
Wood chips, sawdust
Toothpicks, burnt matches
Cotton and wool rags
Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Grass clippings, yard trimmings
Hair and fur
Hay and straw