Composting Grooming
Don’t forget the small stuff. In our case it’s not too small.
Twice a year each year we shave our dog Boogie, who is a small 20 pound terrier mutt. She basically looks like a white Wookie. It’s like shearing a sheep! She almost fills up a kitchen compost collector as you see here. Or is the equivalent of two rabbits, three guinea pigs, etc.
I’ve tried to leave some fur out to see if the birds will take it for nesting. It doesn’t work at my house, but I always recommend you try it with a bit at yours.
The rest of the fur can go in the City of Austin’s Curbside Composting carts!
Don’t forget that toenails may go in the compost carts too.
The human equivalents go in the Compost Cart as well:
- Hair from your comb, brush or shower/bath drain
- Fingernail and toenail clippings
- Tissues (blown noses okay, no blood)
- Cotton swabs (non-plastic ones) (the stick should be paper, not plastic)
- Soap bar slivers
- Matches (including the box)
I keep a little plastic cup under my cabinet and collect this material. If you think it doesn’t matter, it can add up, especially if you have long hair or as shown above a furry dog. Every little bit counts right?
These items above are Natural Fibers for the Green Cart (Composting) in the
What Goes In? flyer.
Trash the following, they’re typically partially polyester (plastic), unless the packaging states otherwise:
- Dryer sheets
- Disposable baby wipes
- Disposable makeup remover wipes or pads with solution/chemicals
- Cotton balls and cotton rounds (it’s hard to be sure they’re all cotton)
- Dryer lint (it’s hard to be sure it’s natural fibers so trash it)
Please no blood, urine or feces of any species in the compost carts. Thanks!