25

I've heard that coffee grounds are a good "green"(nitrogen rich) to put in your compost, but I was wondering if I could throw the filter in there as well? They are the standard "accordion side" white ones.

winwaed
  • 20,513
  • 4
  • 65
  • 118
Abe Miessler
  • 1,478
  • 3
  • 12
  • 19

10 Answers10

25

The paper ones? Sure - they're just like blotting paper and break down quickly. The usual things that can make some papers questionable should not be present (plastic coatings, metal and/or oil based inks) - or if they are present, you need to quickly change your filter brand!

What I would probably do if possible, is to try and tear the paper a little so that it all mixes up more easily and quickly.

winwaed
  • 20,513
  • 4
  • 65
  • 118
10

Yes, you can add coffee grounds with their filters to your compost pile. Because they are wet, they decompose fairly quickly. The filters may dry out you if leave them on top of the pile in dry weather. Keep it inside the pile and keep it moist. Also, worms compost the grounds and filters very fast. I have a five tray worm factory and I just drop the whole filter with the grounds in and close the lid, and my army of five thousand redworms eat it in less than a week. I found filters to be easy to compost in almost any composter. If you have a two week ComposTumbler you will want to shred them before you add them, to keep it even.

J. Musser
  • 52,241
  • 23
  • 122
  • 333
6

I agree that coffee filters do not break down quickly. However, I simply move any uncomposted material such as the coffee filters to a new compost pile, and let the composting complete there. I always screen the compost to catch any twigs, etc., that did not break down sufficiently.

DovidM
  • 254
  • 2
  • 1
6

My brown coffee filters breakdown quickly. The white chlorinated coffee filters take longer to break down.

Gregory
  • 61
  • 1
  • 1
5

We purchased a bag of cow manure from a local hardware and placed a small amount in a container with water to serve as a manure tea where we also deposit coffee filters, grounds and fruit trimmings. Works for us.

Jerry Reynolds
  • 51
  • 1
  • 1
2

I don't mind they don't break down fast, I consider it a mulch for the soil and or weed discourager. I have my colleagues use a plastic bin to save all coffee grounds with their filters and I recycle them to my garden. You can imagine the amount of filters that go into my garden. I haven't seen a problem at all with them. It's true if the filters are exposed to air they do not decompose unless covered in soil.

Betty
  • 21
  • 1
2

Absolutely ok; we have incorporated coffee grounds into our plant food and many of those grounds included the paper filter. You can go to our site if you are curious, there is a lab analysis on the site: www.beantogreen.com

jeremy
  • 21
  • 1
0

Paper coffee filters do not break down quickly at all. I've tried different brands: all natural, brown etc. Those of you say they do have maybe never actually watched a coffee filter in a compost pile.

Niall C.
  • 7,289
  • 11
  • 53
  • 81
steve rea
  • 11
0

You need carbon materials for compost, which is all the paper filters are, so they are not only fine, but part of what is needed. Just try and rip/break them up when turning over your compost, just as you would rather throw in a shredded newspaper instead of one that is fully intact.

PoloHoleSet
  • 693
  • 3
  • 7
-1

coffee grounds ok, tea ok, filters not ok. use only biodegradable filters. i have hundreds of filters and tea bags in my compost that have not eroded at all and that is many months accumulation.

buzz
  • 1
  • 1