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What is Composting?

Composting is defined as “using a mixture of various decaying organic substances, as dead leaves, grass clippings or manure, to fertilize soil.” However, luckily, we’re not talking about using actual manure to fertilize, but instead your leftover food scraps, such as banana peels, ends of vegetables, and other food scraps that would’ve otherwise been wasted. 

Composting began in 1905 with Sir Albert Howard’s organic method. His version of composting consisted of layering waste and then turning the concoction into useable fertilizer. With the help of mealworms and a shift of the compost bin every 6 weeks by 180 degrees, this came to be known as the Indore method.  

Scientists continue to work to see what the best practice is for composting. The act of composting didn’t gain traction in America until 1942, with the help of J. I. Rodale. Rodale mixed Howard’s Indore method with his own separate findings and brought the act of composting to life in America. 

In the past several years, composting has become a practice that the average person can do in their own home. Before, composting was used on a much larger scale. Farmers would make large barrels of compost that took a great deal of labor to turn and mix. However, now that the practice has become more accessible to people like us, why not try it out?  

What Are The Benefits of Composting?

One of the most obvious reasons to compost is to make better use of our food waste. Whether the waste is leftovers you forgot about and are now rotting or food scraps that we can’t eat—such as peels and rinds—composting can help give a second life to these scraps that would’ve otherwise ended up in the landfill. 

Landfills are a huge source of methane emissions, one of the most harmful gases to our Earth. By composting, you are significantly reducing your carbon footprint and helping the world thrive.

Also, composting is great for your soil! Use it in your garden to help the soil retain moisture, while also deterring pests and plant diseases. The best part is this is completely free for you! Rather than buying expensive fertilizer from the store, you can make your own through easy composting. This reduces the need for chemical fertilizers that produce harmful water runoff, which seeps into our waterways.

Also, while composting helps suppress plant diseases, it also encourages the production of healthy bacteria and fungi that break down the food scraps and other organic material to create humus. Humus is the nutritious part of the soil that’s necessary to make healthy, strong plants.

What Can I Compost?

Your compost pile should consist of three different items: green organic material, brown organic material, and water.

Green Organic Material

Green organic material are your vegetable and fruit scraps, grass clippings, and even your coffee grounds.

Brown Organic Material

The brown organic waste is dead leaves, branches, and twigs of all shapes and sizes. A good mixture of these items makes for a great compost bin. 

These items work together and each play a specific role. Your brown materials provide the necessary carbon for your compost pile. The green gives nitrogen to the pile, and the water supplies moisture to begin the process of breaking down the organic material. 

The list of things you can compost is actually quite extensive. According to the EPA, all of the following items that you find around your house are suitable for your compost pile, including:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Eggshells

• Coffee grounds and filters

• Tea bags

• Nut shells

• Shredded newspaper

• Cardboard

• Paper

• Yard trimmings

• Grass clippings

• Houseplants

• Hay and straw

• Leaves

• Sawdust

• Wood chips

• Cotton and wool rags

• Hair and fur

• Fireplace ashes

There are a few items you should not compost, according to the EPA. The main reasons for not using these items are because they can be harmful to your plants when you later use the compost as organic fertilizer. Or, they can create odor problems that will not only be unpleasant for you and your neighbors, but will also cause pests, such as rodents and flies, to flock to your compost bin. Yuck!

• Black walnut tree leaves or twigs

• Coal or charcoal ash

• Eggs or dairy products (butter, milk, yogurt)

• Diseased or insect-ridden plants

• Fats, grease, lard, or oils

• Meat or fish bones and scraps

• Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)—These can actually produce pests and diseases that are harmful to humans.

• Yard trimmings (such as grass clippings) treated with chemical pesticides

How to Start Composting for Beginners

There are two main ways to compost. You can do so on your own from home with your own compost bin or you can take your waste to a composting facility to be used on a broad scale.

Composting from Home

Let’s start by discussing how you can compost at home. 

Making compost at your home has actually become a rather accessible practice, both on a small and large scale. As far as materials go, you will need:

• Compost bin

• Shovel

• Water hose

• Garden hose nozzle (or spray attachment)

• Tarp

These tools will mainly be necessary if you’re operating with a large compost pile or bin.

However, if you live in a small space or an apartment without a yard, you can still compost for those house plants you love. Buy a small compost bin and make small batches of compost for your plants. These indoor compost bins seal tightly, so there is no need to worry about that earthy compost smell seeping into your living room. Also, if you are cognizant of the items you put into the bin, it will not smell at all and no pests will be attracted to the bin. Your compost pile for this indoor type of gardening will take about 2 to 5 weeks. 

If you have the space and ability to make a larger composting bin, this is definitely an option you can do from your home. You’ll want to buy a larger bin to store your compost in for this larger scale project. If you don’t want a large bin visible in your backyard, there are many in-ground options available as well.

Our Picks:

Image: Amazon

Stainless Steel Compost Bin

Epica

An airtight lid and charcoal filter makes sure that odors stay in the bin, not your home.

Image: Amazon

Tiered Composting System

Worm Factory

This tiered bin has individual trays that can be filled with food scraps to be composted. Using a rotating system, the worms travel up through the trays, eating the new food as it becomes available, leaving fresh compost at the bottom. In fact, one half pound of worms can eat up to 1/4 lb of food a day!

Image: Amazon

Outdoor Tumbling COmposter

VIVOSun

This durable composting bin is a great option for beginners. All you have to do is insert your compost materials, and then turn it 5-6 times every 2-3 days! In as little as two weeks, you can have fresh compost. That’s it!

Composting Tips: How to Start A Compost Pile At Home Step-by-Step

1. Designate an area. Start by picking out an area for your bin to reside. This should be a dry and shady spot that’s close to a water source, like your hose. 

2. Add waste materials. Add in brown and green materials over time. You don’t have to fill up the bin in one day. As you use products, throw them out into the compost bin. If you’re putting in larger items, make sure to chop or shred them before placing them in the bin, so that they can more easily decompose.

3. Add water. As you add these various dry materials, moisten them with water as you go. This doesn’t have to be a perfect measurement, just treat it as you would watering when your plants.

4. Mix in green waste. Once this first layer of compost is created, mix in green waste in the pile and bury fruit and vegetable scraps at least under 10 inches of compost for them to effortlessly decompose. 

5. Cover the compost. You can also cover the top of your compost with a tarp to keep moisture in. Some composting bins will come with their own lid, but if you’re DIY-ing your compost bin, this method is a good idea. 

6. Let it be. You’re done! Let your compost rest. You’ll know when the compost is ready by looking at the color of the bottom layer. When it’s dark and rich in color, your compost is ready. Since this is on a larger scale, this type of compost will take anywhere between two months to two years to be ready, so stay patient.

Composting in Your Community

You can also use a composting facility. If your neighborhood or community has a composting collector, you’ll be given a composting bin to keep your organic waste in. This is just like a trash bin or recycling bin. These commercial composting facilities are huge. Typically, the compost is housed in a large shed, rather than a bin, and moved around with bulldozers, rather than shovels. Composting facilities work in 3 different ways:

1. Windrows: Long rows of waste that are aerated by turning the piles.

2. In-vessel: For this practice, waste is put into a large silo that’s mechanically controlled. The waste is also turned or mixed with large construction tools. 

3. Aerated Static Pile: This is when the waste is layered as normal, with bulking agents—such as large branches or newspapers—and a network of pipes under the pile blow air in or out of the pile to keep the environmental conditions stable.

Get involved in your community by finding where your nearest composting center is. You may need to drive to drop off your compost or for some communities, people will pick up your compost, just as they would your trash or recycling. You can also get started on a small scale with your own compost bin. Lower your carbon footprint and reduce your chemical fertilizer usage by starting composting at home.