How to start composting at home: A guide for beginners
Turning everyday household waste into nutrient-rich compost doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s actually really simple once you master the basics. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started, from what materials can go into a compost bin to step-by-step instructions for low-effort composting.
What is compost?
Compost is simply decomposed organic material that has broken down over time to create a soil-like substance rich in nutrients. It’s a fantastic resource for gardening as it can help improve the overall structure of your soil, and act as a powerful fertiliser for your plants.
There are two types of materials that go into a high-quality compost:
- Green materials: These are organic materials that break down quickly and contain a lot of nitrogen.
- Brown materials: These are high-carbon materials that provide the necessary structure and air for compost.
Why you should make compost at home
There are many great reasons for why you should make your own compost for a garden at home. By composting at home, you can put your garden and food waste to good use and repurpose it into something valuable. You also divert waste from landfills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and you can even save money on commercial fertilisers and waste bags!
Find out more ways you can be
more sustainable with your waste to help protect our environment.
What to put in a compost bin
Not everything you have in your kitchen fridge or pantry can be composted. That’s why it’s crucial to know exactly what to put in a compost bin to help create and maintain healthy compost that’s odour and pest-free.
Here’s a simple list of green and brown materials found in most households you can put aside for your compost pile.
| Green materials | Brown materials |
|---|---|
| Uncooked fruit and vegetable scraps, such as peels and rinds | Plain paper, such as newspaper |
| Coffee grounds and tea leaves | Plain cardboard, such as toilet roll tubes and egg boxes |
| Eggshells | Paper towels, kitchen roll, toilet paper |
| Grass and weed cuttings | Straw and hay |
| Leaves | Wood chips or sawdust |
| Cooked rice and pasta | Human and pet hair |
Expert Tip! We recommend breaking your compost materials into smaller pieces, such as crushing your eggshells and tearing your paper and cardboard. This will help them break down much faster.
What not to put in a compost bin
As you can see, there are many materials that can be composted but there are also several items you should not put in your compost bin. It’s a good idea to avoid the following:
How to make compost in 4 simple steps
Now that we know what can go into our compost bin, how do we actually make compost? There are a couple of methods you can use depending on the resources and space you have available.
Without a compost bin: The dig and drop method
You might be surprised to hear that you don’t even need a bin to make compost! You can make compost hassle-free straight into the ground using the dig and drop composting method.
- Choose a spot in your garden where you plan to grow your flowers or vegetables. Make sure it’s several inches away from anything you’re currently growing so you don’t damage their roots.
- Dig a hole at least 10 inches (25.5 cm) deep. You can make it as wide as you need it to be.
- Drop your green materials directly into the hole.
- Cover your waste with soil and pat it into place – done!
Expert Tip! Make sure you don’t add too much green material into the hole and avoid packing the soil too tightly on top. This will make sure your compost has enough air to properly decompose whilst keeping pests out.
With a compost bin
This is the traditional method to make compost. While it takes a little longer than the dig and drop method, it yields a large amount of high-quality compost you can use around your garden.
- Clear a flat area in your garden and place a sturdy piece of wire mesh down. Make sure the wire mesh is wider than your bin!
- Place your compost bin on top of the wire mesh, and wrap the wire up and around the edges of your bin – this will stop mice and other rodents from getting into your compost bin.
- Start with a layer of brown materials then fill with a mixture of brown and green materials.
- Pop the lid on and leave it be.
Expert Tip! Use a ratio of 4:1 when creating your compost mixture. That’s four times as much brown material as green material to help prevent your compost from getting too wet or smelly.
Starting a compost is a simple, practical and effective way to help reduce your carbon footprint whilst also helping your garden thrive, so why not grab a shovel and start your first batch today?
