Most things from a domestic garden can be composted with a little care and time. You can speed up the process by shredding or chopping thick, woody stems, as this helps the bacteria to reach the soft digestible cellulose behind the protective bark. The length of time depends on the size of the pieces and whether the wood pulp has be de-lignified in the pulping process.
Please do not be tempted to pre-soak any cardboard prior to adding into the HOTBIN.
| | Will it Decay | Cold
Compost | HOTBIN Compost | HOTBIN Rate of Decay | Comments |
| Cardboard (cereal box, paper plate) | Yes | Not Advised | Yes | Medium | High in lignin so be careful to shred before adding to the HOTBIN and not to add a lot in one go. |
| Card (inside of toilet rolls, kitchen rolls) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Medium | High in lignin so be careful to shred before adding to the HOTBIN and not to add a lot in one go. |
| Corrugated Cardboard Boxes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Fast | Shred before adding to the HOTBIN. |
| Egg Cartons | Yes | Yes | Yes | Fast | High in lignin so be careful to shred before adding to the HOTBIN and not to add a lot in one go. |
| Glossy Magazine Paper | Yes | Not Advised | Yes | Medium | This can take a long time in cold composting bins. Shred when adding to the HOTBIN. Read more here. |
| Laminated Paper | Yes/No | No | No | Medium | Most laminates are plastic or aluminium foil and are therefore not compostable. |
| Newspaper | Yes | Yes | Yes | Slow | High in lignin so be careful to shred before adding to the HOTBIN and not to add a lot in one go. |
| Printed Paper | Yes | Not Advised | Yes | Medium | Can take a long time in cold compost bins - shred before adding to the HOTBIN. |
| Sawdust | Yes | Yes | Not Advised | Medium | Due to the small particle size this can block the airflow possibly creating an anaerobic bin. |
| Shavings | Yes | Yes | Yes | Slow | Can take a long time in cold compost bins - if too much is added, airflow can become blocked. |
| White Office A4 Paper | Yes | Yes | Yes | Fast | Shredded A4 office paper is surprisingly easy to compost. |
| Wood Based Waste | Yes | Yes | Yes | Very Slow | |
| Wood Treated with Preservatives | Yes | Yes | Yes | Very Slow | Take care - read the back of the preservative tin/bottle. Most modern day preservatives are biodegradable and therefore compostable. |
| Woody Twigs / Branches | Yes | Yes | Yes | Very Slow | Chop or shred to less than 4cm wherepossible. |
