There’s something so satisfying about turning your would-be waste into something useful. This is part of the allure of composting: You get to witness food scraps that would’ve ended up in the landfill transform into nutrient-rich material and — less visible, but still rewarding — you get to know you’re preventing harmful emissions from warming the planet.

Read on to learn about how to reduce food waste with composting.

What is composting? 

Compost is both a verb and a noun. To compost (verb) something is to put it through a natural process of decomposition and create organic matter that can be used as soil amendment. Microbes consume the feedstocks (think, munching on an apple core) and turn them into a stable, high organic matter compost. That nutrient-rich organic matter is also called compost (noun); it can be used to add nutrients back into the soil and help plants grow.

Ways to compost

Whether you have lots of space at home or none at all, the good news is that there are a variety of ways for you to participate in composting.

How does composting work?

Home composting is the process of turning organic material into soil amendment. Composting essentially assists the natural process of decomposition by creating an ideal environment for decomposing organisms (think: bacteria and worms) to do their work. 

There are two primary types of composting: hot and cold. Hot composting relies on the internal temperature of the pile to drive decomposition. It’s the most efficient way to compost, as microbes generate heat as they break down your food scraps and yard trimmings, and that heat helps organic matter break down faster. Hot composting also relies on air flow and water to maintain that ideal microbial environment, which means you have to turn and water the pile to keep the decomposition factory running smoothly. 

Cold composting essentially follows the same process as hot composting, but there’s no heat to accelerate the process. With cold composting, you don’t need to manage the pile but it takes a lot longer — we’re talking years, rather than months —  to create usable compost.

To compost at home using a pile, bin, or tumbler, you’ll follow these general steps: 

Compost ingredients: greens and browns 

A healthy compost pile needs a mix of carbon and nitrogen-rich materials (browns and greens, respectively), plus water and oxygen. For best results, especially with hot composting, you’ll layer two to three parts browns with one part greens. 

What not to compost at home

While there’s plenty that can be composted at home, there are a few things you should avoid. 

It’s generally not recommended to add animal byproducts to your home pile, including meat, bones, and dairy . Not only can those things attract vermin, but they can also introduce pathogens — which a home pile may not get hot enough to kill. Cooked foods and grease should all be left out to avoid attracting unwanted pests. 

If you use a worm-bin to compost, you’ll also want to avoid adding a lot of citrus and onions without other materials, because the acidity can kill your worms.

But here’s a big caveat: If you use a Mill food recycler to preprocess your food scraps, you can compost many of the food products that are otherwise considered no-no’s for your compost pile, including meat and dairy. That’s because Mill heats them enough to kill any potential pathogens and grinds them into nutrient-rich grounds — making them easier to mix into your pile and less noticeable to unwanted visitors.

How to tell when compost is ready and how to use it

In a well-maintained hot compost pile, home compost should be ready in about three to five months. You’ll know it’s ready when it stops heating up after mixing, and there are no visible food scraps left. 

If you like, you can sift your compost to remove any large pieces. Once you confirm your compost is ready, you can start spreading it around. You can add it to flower or tree beds, or spread it directly in your lawn or garden.

Composting FAQs 

Can I just throw my food scraps in the garden? 

It depends on where you live, how big your garden or yard is, and what time of year. But if you have a small space, you shouldn’t throw your food scraps directly into your garden, as this is an invitation for unwanted pests. Adding them to a proper compost pile or tumbler will help them break down faster. 

How long does it take to make compost? 

Hot compositing, done the right way, can produce usable compost in three to five months. Cold composting can take anywhere from a year to two years. 

What’s the best time of year to start a compost pile? 

The best time of year to start composting is the moment you feel motivated enough to do it. However, if you’re hoping to be a bit more strategic, depending on where you live, spring and fall both provide excellent conditions for compositing, both in terms of climate and the organic materials (dry leaves in fall, lots of trimmings in spring) needed to start a pile. 

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