Composting for Beginners at Home
You’ve heard the buzz around composting. You’re intrigued, but you’re a newbie + you need guidance specifically tailored to beginners composting at home.
If your garbage can is like the average American’s, at least 20% of it is filled with food. Worse, that 20% is entirely preventable.
A slow-but-steady approach to composting transforms ho-hum food scraps into nutrient-dense soil that’s perfect for your garden, flower beds + indoor houseplants.
Even better? Composting is just as easy as recycling.
Composting is simply a third sort of your trash. Arm yourself with these composting tips for beginners at home + let the magic happen.
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[Note: While this post is sponsored by Full Circle Home, all opinions are my own.]
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Essential composting supplies:
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Composting often gets a bad rap, as many non-composters assume the practice is a dirty, time-consuming hassle.
Neither is true, especially when you have the best tools at your disposal.
Arm yourself with the following 2 items:
1. A transport container
A transport container stays in your kitchen. It’s small (approximately 1 – 1.5 gallons) + it holds your compostable items before they are brought to their final resting place, the outdoor composting bin (see below).
I believe that purchasing new should always be a last resort + that’s why – when I first started composting – I refused to purchase a transport container.
First, I reused an old yogurt container. Because it had a lid, I kept it covered to prevent smells from wafting into my kitchen.
But because it was just quart-sized, it filled up fast. I found myself running to my outdoor compost bin more often than fit my busy life.
Next, I repurposed a milk jug by cutting off the top. It was bigger (hooray!), but it had no lid. Things soon got smelly, especially on the days I was too lazy to empty it.
Then I purchased the cheapest transport container online. While it was large + had a lid, it wasn’t lined with a compostable bag. Cleaning the thing was therefore a frequent, unpleasant task.
Don’t make my mistakes! Purchase a quality transport container + only purchase once. Before buying, consider:
– You’ll want something big enough to hold a lot of scraps but not one that’s too big + takes up precious space.
If your transport container is too small, you’ll find yourself running to your outside bin more often than you’d like. If it’s too big, it’s likely an eyesore.
– Airflow is your friend.
Food smells as it decomposes; lack of oxygen forces food scraps to decompose quicker. Unless you’re immune to odors, you’ll want to find a transport container that boasts breathability.
– Lids keep out both smells + household critters.
A lid is a must.
– You’ll want something that disassembles quickly for painless cleaning.
Even the best transport containers need occasional TLC. Purchase one that’s smartly designed for easy cleaning.
– Bin liners are worth their weight in gold.
Compostable bag liners prevent messes.
I compost coffee grounds daily. To my chagrin, they are nearly impossible to remove from any container when wet. Having a compostable bag liner makes it easy as pie to compost without requiring a daily deep cleaning of my transport container.
While there are many products on the market, I recommend this transport container because it boasts compostable bag liners, encourages air flow + is made from recycled plastic.
Essential Supply #2: An outdoor tumbler
The outdoor compost bin is a large (at least 30 gallons) container where the magic happens.
Once your indoor transport container fills, empty its contents into your outdoor compost bin. It’s just that simple.
When purchasing your outdoor compost bin, remember:
– Go maintenance-free.
Compost needs to be turned every once in awhile: You can either do this yourself with a shovel OR you can purchase a compost bin that turns your compost for you.
Tumblers are outdoor compost bins that are fool-proof + require very little effort to maintain. By choosing a tumbler at the outset, you’ll never have to manually turn your compost pile.
– Place your outdoor compost bin in an optimal location.
Put it close enough to a household exit so walking to it once per day isn’t an inconvenient schlep.
Place it far enough away so it isn’t an eyesore. Outdoor compost bins aren’t particularly attractive; consider placing it in a wooded area, if you have one.
Optional composting items
While the below items will make your life easier, they aren’t necessary for the beginner composter.
A scrap collector
A scrap collector hangs off the side of your sink (or, in my case, off the side of my trash can) + collects food scraps throughout the day. If you store your indoor transport container under a sink, a scrap collector eliminates the need for you to continuously pull out the transport container.
Lined compostable bags
Scrap sacks can be thrown in your freezer to stop the composting process. They can also hold items when its too cold to travel to your outdoor bin.
How beginners compost at home:
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First, start in your kitchen.
Set aside your fruit + vegetable scraps; eggshells, too. Place them in your compost transport container. Once per day (or whenever your indoor transport container is full), carry the contents to your outdoor compost bin.
Follow the foolproof instructions that come with your outdoor compost bin then sit back, relax + let nature do its job.
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Next, expand your efforts.
Place a second transport container in your bathroom. (Note: Because this bin will not hold food + will therefore not be odorous, know that you can use nearly any container for this purpose.)
Place compostable items in your bathroom transport container, then empty its contents outside when full.
Easy peasy.
Composting for beginners at home: Your questions, answered
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1. What if I live in an apartment?
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Apartment dwellers, rejoice: You, too, can compost!
If you are yard-free, know that you can:
1. Commit to indoor composting.
Vermicomposting is an excellent indoor option. Bokashi is, too.
or
2. Inquire whether your city or town offers municipal composting.
Many municipalities happily accept food scraps from your curb.
2. What if I don’t want the end product?
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Here’s a composting tip for beginners at home: Many home composters have no use for compost. Still, they compost anyway (+ so should you!).
Remember the main benefit of composting is it diverts food waste from landfills. Consider donating your humus to a local farmer or gardener or sign up for municipal composting if your city or town offers it.
You can find The Sustainable Minimalists podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher
3. Can I compost in the winter?
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Absolutely!
Although there will be no actual “cooking” during winter months, fill up your compost bin anyway. Decomposition will resume once the weather warms.
Bin full? Keep on reserving those scraps. Put your compostables in a freezer-friendly bag, then pop them in the freezer.
Add them to your bin once there’s room.
4. Can I compost meat, dairy + oils in my outdoor compost bin?
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It’s not recommended. That’s because composting meat, bones + dairy causes odors, ushers in maggots + invites critters big + small to your compost bin.
Compost these items municipally, instead, by inquiring whether your city or town offers an industrial composting option.
5. What are some unique items that happen to be compostable?
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Beginners composting at home quickly find themselves extending their efforts beyond the kitchen. Feel good about composting the following unconventional household items:
Human hair
Pet hair
Nail clippings
Q-tips (if the center is made from paper, not plastic)
Dryer lint
Paper towels
Wine corks
Stale bread
Flowers from floral arrangements
The insides of your vacuum bag
Pencil shavings
Sawdust
Used matches
Paper egg cartons (not Styrofoam)
Oatmeal
Rice
Pasta
Stale chips + crackers
Pickles
What composting questions do you have? Ask me in the comments!
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