Serious question about using coffee grounds vs filters

I used to toss both my coffee grounds and paper filters straight into the bin thinking it was fine, but last month I read that the filters take forever to break down unless they're unbleached. Has anyone else had issues with compost piles getting too many filters mixed in?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher_west117d ago

Tbh the filters aren't the main problem in compost piles, it's more about the coffee grounds themselves creating too much moisture and compacting everything if you don't mix in enough browns. Unbleached filters will break down way faster than you'd think if you tear them up a bit before tossing them in.

taylor.mary17d ago

My buddy jenna started composting last year and she went all in on the whole coffee filter thing. She was tearing up unbleached filters like her life depended on it and chucking them in with her grounds. But then her pile started smelling like a wet dog and getting super sludgy. Turns out, @christopher_west1 is spot on about the moisture thing - she wasn't adding enough leaves or shredded paper to balance it out. She switched to mixing in a bunch of dry cardboard with every batch of grounds and filters, and now her compost actually looks like dirt instead of a swamp. Filters really aren't the enemy, it's just about keeping the ratio right.