Editing Compost (section)

=== Organic solid waste ===
{{Main|Biodegradable waste}}
[[File:Spontaneous combustion of compost pile.jpg|thumb|A large compost pile is steaming with the heat generated by [[thermophile|thermophilic]] microorganisms.]]

The two broad categories of organic solid waste are green and brown.  Green waste is generally considered a source of nitrogen and includes pre- and post-consumer [[food waste]], grass clippings, garden trimmings, and fresh leaves.<ref name=":4" /> Animal carcasses, roadkill, and butcher residue can also be composted, and these are considered nitrogen sources.<ref>{{cite web |title=Natural Rendering: Composting Livestock Mortality and Butcher Waste |url=https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/2149/naturalrenderingFS.pdf?sequence=19&isAllowed=y |publisher=Cornell Waste Management Institute |access-date=17 November 2020 |date=2002 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224214513/https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/2149/naturalrenderingFS.pdf?sequence=19&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}</ref>

Brown waste is a carbon source. Typical examples are dried vegetation and woody material such as fallen leaves, straw, woodchips, limbs, logs, pine needles, sawdust, and wood ash, but not charcoal ash.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rishell |first1=Ed |title=Backyard Composting |url=https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/HORT/HORT-49/HORT-49-PDF.pdf |website=Virginia Cooperative Extension |publisher=Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |access-date=17 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920170413/http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/HORT/HORT-49/HORT-49-PDF.pdf |archive-date=20 September 2018 |date=2013}}</ref>  Products derived from wood such as paper and plain cardboard are also considered carbon sources.<ref name=":4" />