Composting can have many benefits, such as reducing food waste, promoting healthy plant growth, preventing soil erosion and combating climate change. If this is something you want to start, Anna Gragert, CNET wellness editor and avid composter, recommends you begin by looking up composting services. You can also consider if you’d prefer to do the entire process yourself at home, for which there are countertop food composters.
“I live in LA County, where we have a curbside organics recycling program that allows us to place food waste, food-soiled paper and yard waste into a green bin for pickup,” she says. “However, there are other community programs in my area that allow for compost drop-off. I simply keep my food scraps in a freezer-safe bin and once it's full, I empty it into my apartment building's green bin, which comes lined with a compostable bag. I've also taken my compost bin to farmers' markets for drop-offs. My local library even has a community compost hub.”
Next, you'll want to find out what you can and can't compost. If composting yourself at home, you'll want the right balance of “greens,” such as fruit and veggie scraps, and “browns,” like dry leaves and plant stalks. In addition to organic materials, some local programs and countertop composters even allow you to compost meat, seafood, dairy products and bread, but you'll want to check the instructions first. After all, composting the wrong material can create a smelly mess and attract unwanted pests.
Below, you'll find a list of foods and household items that can and can't be composted.
What is composting?
Composting is a way to help food trash and other organic items decompose into a substance that can be used to alter the composition of soil so that it's more nutritious for plants. To start the composting process, certain bacteria activators are added to the organic material to create heat. The heat causes the organic material to decompose more quickly than it would in nature.
What can't be composted?
- Cooking oils
- Foods high in added fat and oil
- Cheese, milk and and other dairy items
- Sugar
- Candy and other foods containing excess sugar
- Large amounts of cooked food
- Highly processed canned and packaged foods
- Cat litter
- Dog waste
- Certain houseplants
Most but not all food scraps can go into a compost pile.
Items that can be composted
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Cores, peels and rinds
- Coffee grounds
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Beans and legumes
- Seeds and nuts
- Herbs and greens
- Egg shells
- Paper towels (as long as they're not covered in grease)
Bacon fat and other greasy items should not be composted.
Can you compost meat and fish?
Countertop food processors such as the Vitamix FoodCycler make mincemeat of kitchen scraps and speed up the decomposition process.
Some gardeners add fish, meat, bones and dairy products to their compost bin. This is fine, unless you have a problem with rodents or raccoons, because these foods create a strong smell that scavengers can't resist.
If you want to compost meat and seafood without the risk of attracting critters, a countertop organic waste processor will grind and dry your scraps so they're akin to dirt and not something that would interest a wild animal.
Outside composting
There are two main ways of composting: outside and inside. First, let's take a look at outside composting.
A layer of dry material, like leaves, is important to outdoor composting.
Some gardeners prefer to have a compost pile in their yard. This is exactly what it sounds like. It is a pile layered with grass clippings, food bits, sticks and dead leaves.
The pile is started in a sunny area with a layer of twigs and sticks on the ground to help with airflow. Then, moist organic material (like food scraps or grass clippings) is layered with dry material, such as leaves, twigs and sawdust. That dry material is crucial because you don't want the compost to be too damp, which will cause foul odors and attract pests.
This type of composting takes some work because the pile needs to be turned (basically mixed up) every week or two using a pitchfork or compost aerator. The benefit is that it's basically free. The only items you need to purchase are a turning tool and some compost activator, and you will be on your way to having nutrient-rich compost.
Composting is a beautiful thing.
An easier outdoor solution is a compost tumbler, like the Yimby ($74) or this Miracle-Gro large dual-chamber compost tumbler ($124). Both of these consist of rotating barrels that you throw your yard and food waste into and then spin five to six times every two to three days. The spinning mixes the compost to encourage quick and even decomposition.
The same rules about wet and dry material apply; you need to keep the compost well-balanced so that it breaks down correctly. When choosing an outdoor system, also be sure to look for a unit that has many aeration holes to release gasses caused by the food decomposing. A closed container can explode if too much pressure from gasses builds up.
Indoor composting
High-tech composters, like Whirlpool's Zera, can turn food scraps into compost in a matter of hours.
Indoor composting is almost foolproof with high-tech compost bins, like the Food Cycler Platinum. With this type of unit, you just drop in the food scraps, coffee grounds or paper towels and compost activator. The unit uses heat and pressure to turn the scraps into fertilizer, usually within three to 24 hours. Some units can produce about two pounds of fertilizer for eight pounds of food waste.
OK, I have decomposed compost, now what?
Once the food items are decomposed, it will look almost like woody dirt. You can sprinkle small amounts in house plants or till large amounts into a garden plot. You can also sprinkle it on your lawn or trees to make them healthier.
When you've exhausted your finished compost, you can continue the process by adding food scraps and yard waste to your pile or compost bin. A well-cared-for compost pile can give you nutrient-rich compost for years to come.
No. Compost can also include yard waste (described above) and other items, such as paper towels and some biodegradable tea bags. Compost can be made up of any organic waste.
Compost is not the same as soil, but it can be added to the soil in your garden to make it more nutrient-rich.
