Methods for Composting Kitchen Scraps

Learn how to reduce waste and go green using your leftovers

Slight changes in our daily lives can have meaningful benefits for our environment. The challenge to reduce and reuse has a unique answer for kitchen scraps: home composting. Reducing food waste eases the burden on community landfills and produces nutrient-rich compost to grow fresh produce. Some communities have enacted composting programs, but you can engage in some sustainable living on your own. Home composting is especially worthwhile if you have your own garden.

What is compost?

Composting is one of the planet's first recycling systems and possibly its most successful. Farmers have used composting since at least the days of ancient Rome. By combining a mixture of food scraps, plant waste and organic materials, you can create ideal conditions for decomposition. Microorganisms help break down the waste, and the result is a natural fertilizer you can use in your garden or send to a commercial composting center for use elsewhere. It’s a straightforward process, and Mother Nature does the heavy lifting. But it's important to know what items can go in your kitchen compost bins.

So, what can you compost? For the most part, compost is comprised of organic materials that decompose quickly. If you’re sending your compost off to a commercial center, you may be able to add certain products that take longer to break down, like compostable bags. But if you’re keeping your homemade fertilizer in your backyard, you’ll want to keep things simple and use organic materials from your kitchen.

Items you can compost:

Shredded paper towels & cardboard tubes
Fruits
Vegetables
Leaves from house plants
Cardboard egg cartons
Crushed eggshells
Bread & other grains such as cereal
Coffee grounds & used coffee filters
Tea leaves & tea bags (non-plastic)
Peanut shells
Wooden toothpicks & bamboo skewers
Leftover dry cat & dog food
Cut up wine corks

You should not compost items that can create serious odors, harbor pathogens or attract insects. So, even if something is compostable, it may still be better to put it down the garbage disposal.

Items you shouldn't compost:

Meat & Fish
Dairy
Sugary baked goods
Oils & very greasy food
Human or pet waste
Plastic
Glass
Metal

Once you have your materials and the basics of kitchen composting, you’re ready to go. As the components deteriorate, they turn into wholesome, nutrient-rich fertilizer.

Finding the best compost bin for you

When trying to find the perfect compost container, the first factor you should consider is size. You’ll need a space large enough for your home compost bin that stays out of hot, direct sunlight. If you have access to outdoor areas like a patio, yard or deck, you may have space for a compost trash can to hold more waste and keep odors out of the house. But if you want to compost in an apartment or other smaller spaces, you can find plenty of countertop compost bins that can fit conveniently next to your sink, stove or any other place you’re likely to have food scraps.

You can also use a plastic food storage containers to make a space for worm-composting called vermiculture. Those wrigglers will quickly transform your kitchen waste into fertilizer and maybe even delight the children and anglers in your life.

Once you’ve determined what size you want, you’ll want to look for compost bins that have lids with slots or holes to provide adequate airflow. The helpful microorganisms that break down your food need access to oxygen to create compost. Without the necessary aeration, your food will still decompose, but at a much slower rate. You may also find compost bins with holes in the bottom to drain excess liquid. In this case, it’s recommended to place a rubber or plastic tray beneath the bin to collect any fluid, but many indoor compost bins come with trays already attached.

The most convenient option is a compost machine that can turn unwanted scraps into plant food in a matter of hours. These gadgets take most of the work — and all the worms — out of the picture.

Caring for compost

How long does it take for kitchen scraps to compost? It depends on several factors. An outdoor heap can take months, while an automatic unit can turn leftovers into fertilizer in hours. Whether you’re planning on keeping your compost for your garden or having it picked up by a community collection service, there are several things you can do to encourage decomposition for healthy home-grown fertilizer.

It's essential to make sure you have enough moisture. You want your compost to be neither too wet nor too dry. You can do this by keeping the proper ratio of ingredients. Add enough carbon-rich "brown" materials to offset the "green" fruit and vegetable matter. A 50-50 ratio is a good starting point, but the rule of thumb is to aim for more brown than green. Cardboard is a substantial source of brown material. Dry yard waste is another, and you save even more landfill space by putting leaves in your compost bin. Making sure you have enough dry materials in your compost can also help keep unwanted odors at bay.

Kitchen gadgets are great tools to have available for breaking down compost. You don’t need to chop up all your food waste, but the composting process goes more quickly when you create more surface area. Home chefs love a good chopper, slicer or electric knife for crafting their cuisine. These tools come in handy for breaking down scraps and leftovers too. Consider adding a blender or juicer to your kitchen. Not only can they power you up with healthy beverages made with home-grown produce, but they also kick-start your compost by grinding up tougher bits and pieces.

And an occasional turn or two with garden tools can aerate your compost and help move things along. If you’re using a small, indoor compost bin, you can use small hand tools, silverware, chopsticks, or any other tool appropriate for the size of your container. Aeration is a crucial aspect of decomposition, so the more access to air and movement, the faster your compost will break down.

Giving back to the Earth

Once you have created a healthy supply of compost, you can use it for your own gardening or donate it to a community garden. Many towns provide drop-off areas for either your scraps or finished compost. You can feed it to your bushes and trees, and it can help make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood.

Home composting offers a great opportunity to create harmony with your community and the environment. Once you've mastered this aspect of green living, you might find yourself inspired to try other sustainable practices like water conservation and renewable energy. Use the items and knowledge you learned here to lighten up your garbage can and feed the planet with a little composting.