Do you know that one-third1 of all food in the United States goes uneaten? What doesn't end up in our bellies is often left to decompose in landfills, sewer systems, and combustion facilities — polluting the water, air, and soil. According to the EPA, only 4% of food waste is composted, which is why composting is critical to protecting the environment. Read on to learn how to compost at home and specific reasons to get into the habit.
What Is Home Composting & Why Do It?
Composting refers to the aerobic biological breakdown of organic materials (food scraps and plants) by microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, microscopic animals, and protozoa). Compost is the resulting decomposed organic waste.
Home composting is a form of recycling. Under the right conditions, which we'll discuss later, the waste gets a new life — transformed into a nutrient-rich soil amendment to help your garden and houseplants flourish.
Home composting reduces greenhouse gas emissions by limiting the amount of organic material left to rot in landfills and releasing methane into the atmosphere. Compost improves soil structure by boosting water retention to conserve H2O and limiting reliance on environmentally unfriendly pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
What Can You Compost at Home?
You can compost many things, including:
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Egg shells (broken into smaller pieces)
- Coffee grounds
- Tea leaves
- Tea bags without plastic
- Flowers or cuttings from plants
- Cardboard
- Many types of paper
- Dead leaves
What Can't You Compost at Home?
There are also some things to avoid composting, including:
- Meat
- Baked goods
- Fatty foods
- Animal feces
- Cat litter
- Bones
- Dairy products, such as cheese
How to Compost at Home: Choose a Method
Choose the home-composting method that's right for you based on the laws in your city, how much compost you want to generate, how long you want the process to take, and whether you want to keep the compost bin indoors or outside.
Backyard Composting
Composting in your yard is relatively simple. You only need water, organic material, and a bin with adequate airflow (oxygen) that lets in sunlight while keeping out pests. A cubic yard bin is often the perfect starter size for beginner composters. To start, mix a two-to-one ratio of brown to green materials2. Brown materials, such as wood shavings, sticks, and dead leaves, are high in carbon. Green materials, including food scraps, fresh grass, and pruned leaves, are nitrogen-rich. Beneficial microorganisms require water to survive, so water the compost weekly to keep it moist.Turn or stir the compost occasionally to keep the air circulating. That's it! Once the chunks of scrap morph into a rich brown, moist hue, the compost is ready for curing. During this time, approximately four weeks, the organic material breaks down completely. Depending on your weather and environment, you'll have fresh, usable compost in approximately three to five months3.
Worm Composting aka Vermicomposting
As you might have guessed, worm composting uses the crawly animals to break down organic materials. Beyond worms, you need a dark-colored plastic or untreated wooden bin with a tight lid, shredded newspaper or cardboard for bedding, and food and plant waste.Keep the bin inside or outside. If you choose the latter, drape blankets over the bin in cold weather to keep the compost (and worms) warm. Constantly feeding organic material to the worms results in more worms. It takes three to six months to reach the harvesting stage, after which the compost is ready to use.
Compost Bucket
If you're not ready to commit to backyard or worm composting, you can invest in a compost bucket for your countertop. These compact systems are the ultimate space savers. If you’re worried about unpleasant odors or insects in your home, fear not. The compost buckets often include charcoal filters to keep smells down and stop pests from finding their way to the compost.
Reach Out to The Rounds
If you're hoping to be more sustainable but home composting isn't your thing, that's okay, too! The Rounds offers an easy-to-use composting pickup service. Put your food scraps and approved organic materials into a bucket we provide. We'll grab your full bucket at your scheduled weekly pickup and leave you a fresh one for the upcoming week. We'll take the bucket to professionals who will turn it into beautiful compost that goes towards creating food and plants for everyone.
Composting is one small step towards creating a more sustainable future. Help save the planet while keeping your home free of food and plant waste.
Sources:
1. Preventing Food Waste at Home. EPA. Retrieved February 3, 2025, from, https://www.epa.gov/recycle/preventing-wasted-food-home
2. Bertelmann, M. (April 24, 2020). Start a Backyard Compost Bin. Denver Botanic Gardens. Retrieved February 3, 2025, from Green to Brown Ratio for Composting - Gardening knowledge for beginner
3. Composting at Home. EPA. Retrieved February 3, 2025, from https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
