What To Compost At Home: 20 Suitable Items For Great Results

Stepping into the world of composting can feel overwhelming at first. You might find yourself staring at kitchen scraps, wondering if they belong in the bin or could transform into something valuable for your garden. If you’re looking to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle, learning what to compost at home is one of the most rewarding skills you can develop.

Many people hesitate to start composting because they’re unsure about what materials are suitable and how to begin. Perhaps you’ve found yourself contemplating the contents of your food waste caddy, torn between the convenience of throwing it away and the nagging desire to do something more environmentally responsible. The good news is that composting doesn’t need to be complicated, and the benefits for both your garden and the planet are substantial.

With growing concerns about waste management and the increasing cost of shop-bought compost, there’s never been a better time to start creating your own nutrient-rich soil improver. Whether you have a sprawling garden or just a small outdoor space, composting is accessible to everyone. Throughout this guide, we’ll explore the essential items that make for excellent compost material, helping you transform everyday waste into garden gold.

Understanding the Basics of Composting

The science behind composting is fascinating yet straightforward. Successful composting involves breaking down organic matter through a natural recycling process that transforms waste into a rich, soil-like substance that gardeners prize for its nutritional value.

The process relies on a balance between two types of materials:

1. Green materials – These are nitrogen-rich and include fresh kitchen scraps and garden trimmings. They provide the protein that decomposers need to thrive.
2. Brown materials – These are carbon-rich and include dry, woody items. They provide energy for decomposers and create air pockets in your compost pile.

For optimal results, aim for a roughly equal mix of these materials. Too much green waste can lead to a smelly, slimy mess, while too much brown material can slow down the decomposition process.

If you’re new to gardening and composting, don’t worry. The beginner composting tips and guide you need is simpler than you might expect. The key is to start with the right materials and maintain a good balance.

How to Start Composting: Getting Set Up

How to start composting depends largely on your available space and the amount of waste you generate. For most home gardeners, a simple compost bin or heap works perfectly well.

You can purchase a ready-made bin, or create your own using wooden pallets or even old dustbins with holes drilled in the sides for ventilation. Place your bin on bare soil rather than concrete where possible, as this allows worms and other beneficial organisms to access the pile from below.

The location matters too – find a spot that’s easily accessible year-round, ideally in partial shade to prevent the compost from drying out in summer. Make sure there’s enough room to turn the compost occasionally and to harvest the finished product when it’s ready.

For those with limited outdoor space, options still exist. Indoor composting for apartments is possible using special systems like wormeries or Bokashi bins, which we’ll touch on later in this article.

What To Compost At Home: The Essential Materials

Now, let’s explore the 20 items that make excellent additions to your compost bin. These materials are readily available in most households and will help you create nutrient-rich compost for your garden.

1. Fruit and Vegetable Peelings

Perhaps the most obvious kitchen waste for composting, fruit and vegetable peelings break down quickly and add valuable nutrients. From potato skins to apple cores, these materials are perfect for your compost bin. Chop larger pieces into smaller chunks for faster decomposition. Learning how to compost food waste properly starts with these common kitchen scraps.

2. Coffee Grounds and Tea Bags

Used coffee grounds and tea bags are excellent additions to your compost bin. They’re rich in nitrogen and minerals like potassium and phosphorus. If possible, remove plastic elements from tea bags before composting, as these won’t break down.

3. Eggshells

Crushed eggshells add calcium to your compost and eventually to your soil. They break down slowly, so crushing them helps speed up the process. They’re particularly beneficial if you’re planning on composting for a vegetable garden, as many vegetables benefit from calcium-rich soil.

4. Cardboard and Paper

Cardboard egg boxes, toilet roll tubes and non-glossy paper provide the essential carbon element in your compost. Tear them into smaller pieces to help them break down more quickly. This material also helps create air pockets in your pile, encouraging aerobic decomposition.

5. Grass Clippings

Fresh grass clippings are high in nitrogen and decompose rapidly. However, they can compact and become slimy if added in thick layers. Mix them with brown materials like leaves or cardboard for best results. Grass clippings are an excellent example of how composting leaves and grass together creates a balanced mix.

6. Hedge Trimmings

Soft, green hedge trimmings can be added directly to your compost bin. Woody stems should be chopped into smaller pieces first or they’ll take a very long time to break down. Some gardeners run their lawnmower over them to shred them effectively.

7. Fallen Leaves

Autumn leaves are carbon-rich and make excellent compost material. They break down slowly on their own but mix well with nitrogen-rich materials. If you have lots of leaves, consider making separate leaf mould by collecting leaves in a bin bag with air holes, moistening them and leaving them to break down for 1-2 years.

8. Hair and Nail Clippings

Human hair and nail clippings are completely compostable and add nitrogen to your pile. Pet hair works just as well. These materials break down relatively quickly and add valuable nutrients to your finished compost.

9. Natural Fibres

Items made from natural fibres like cotton, wool, hemp and linen can be composted. This includes old cotton t-shirts, wool socks with holes and even linen napkins that are beyond repair. Cut them into small pieces to speed decomposition.

10. Straw and Hay

Straw and hay make excellent brown materials for your compost bin. They add carbon and help create air spaces within the pile. They’re particularly useful if you have a lot of green kitchen waste to balance out.

11. Herbivore Pet Waste

Bedding and waste from herbivorous pets like rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters make excellent compost material. The mixture of straw, droppings and urine is already partially decomposed and rich in nutrients. Never compost waste from carnivorous pets like cats and dogs, as this can contain harmful pathogens.

12. Spent Bedding Plants

When your summer bedding plants finish flowering, add them to your compost bin rather than binning them. Remove any plastic labels or ties first. Garden composting for beginners often starts with these seasonal clear-outs, providing a good volume of material all at once.

13. Comfrey Leaves

Comfrey is a fantastic addition to your compost bin. It’s rich in potassium and other nutrients, decomposing quickly to create nutrient-dense compost. Some gardeners even make a separate comfrey tea as a liquid fertiliser.

14. Wood Ash

Ash from untreated wood (such as from your fireplace or wood burner) can be added to your compost in moderate amounts. It adds potassium and other minerals but should be used sparingly as it’s alkaline and can affect the pH of your compost if overused.

15. Crushed Nutshells

Crushed shells from nuts like walnuts, peanuts and almonds can be composted. They break down slowly, so crushing them helps speed up the process. Avoid adding too many at once as they decompose slowly.

16. Seaweed

If you live near the coast and can collect seaweed, it makes an excellent addition to compost. Rinse it first to remove salt, then add it to your bin. Seaweed is rich in minerals and trace elements that benefit plant growth.

17. Paper Towels and Napkins

Used paper towels and napkins from the kitchen can go straight into your compost bin, provided they’re not contaminated with cleaning chemicals or meat juices. They add carbon and help absorb excess moisture in the pile.

18. Natural Corks

Natural wine corks (not plastic ones) can be composted. They break down very slowly, so it helps to chop them into smaller pieces first. Soaking them in water can also speed up the decomposition process.

19. Houseplant Trimmings

Trimmings from your houseplants make excellent compost material. This includes dead leaves, pruned stems and even entire plants that have reached the end of their life. Avoid composting houseplants with diseases or pest problems.

20. Aged Cooking Oils (in small amounts)

Small amounts of vegetable oils that have been used for cooking can be added to your compost. Use sparingly, as too much oil can coat materials and inhibit air circulation. Never add animal fats or large quantities of oil.

What Not to Compost: Items to Avoid

While many household items can be composted, it’s equally important to know what not to compost. Some materials can harm your compost pile, attract pests or introduce harmful pathogens.

Avoid adding:

1. Meat, fish and dairy products
2. Cooked foods with oil or fat
3. Pet waste from dogs, cats or other carnivores
4. Diseased plants
5. Perennial weeds or weeds that have gone to seed
6. Glossy or coloured paper
7. Coal or charcoal ash
8. Citrus peels and onions in large quantities (can kill worms)
9. Bread, pasta and other starchy foods (attract rodents)
10. Pressure-treated wood or sawdust from treated timber

Keeping these materials out of your compost will help maintain a healthy, productive pile and prevent potential problems down the line.

Advanced Composting Methods

Once you’ve mastered what to compost at home and the basics of cold composting with the materials listed above, you might want to explore more advanced techniques to speed up the process or handle a wider range of materials.

The guide to the hot composting method involves creating and maintaining higher temperatures within your compost pile. This approach requires more management but offers faster results and better weed seed/pathogen destruction. To achieve hot composting, you need a good balance of materials, adequate moisture and regular turning to incorporate oxygen.

For those with limited space, a guide to composting with worms (vermicomposting) provides an efficient alternative. Worm bins can be kept indoors or in small outdoor spaces and process kitchen waste quickly. Red wiggler worms convert food scraps into rich worm castings, which make an excellent soil amendment for potted plants and garden beds.

Composting Without the Bad Smell: Troubleshooting Common Issues

A healthy compost pile should smell earthy, not foul. If your compost develops an unpleasant odour, it’s usually a sign that something’s out of balance. Composting without the bad smell is entirely possible with proper management.

Common issues include:

1. Foul odour: Often caused by too much green material and not enough brown. Add more cardboard, dry leaves or paper to restore balance.
2. Slimy texture: Usually indicates too much moisture and not enough aeration. Turn the pile and add dry brown materials to absorb excess moisture.
3. Slow decomposition: This can happen if your pile is too dry or lacks nitrogen-rich materials. Add some water and green materials, then turn the pile to mix everything together.
4. Attracting pests: If your compost is attracting unwanted visitors, ensure you’re not adding meat, dairy or oily foods, and cover fresh kitchen waste with a layer of brown material.

Understanding these principles helps with troubleshooting common composting problems before they become serious issues.

Seasonal Considerations

Composting is a year-round activity, but your approach may need to adapt with the seasons. During summer, piles may dry out and require additional watering, while winter brings its own challenges.

Winter composting tips and tricks include insulating your bin with straw bales or cardboard to maintain some heat, chopping materials into smaller pieces to speed decomposition and continuing to add a mix of green and brown materials even when decomposition slows. The process may slow down during colder months, but it will quickly accelerate again when temperatures rise in spring.

Making Compost Faster: Accelerating the Process

If you’re impatient for results, there are several strategies to make compost faster. These include:

1. Chopping materials into smaller pieces to increase surface area for decomposition
2. Turning the pile regularly to incorporate oxygen
3. Maintaining proper moisture levels (damp as a wrung-out sponge)
4. Adding compost activators like comfrey leaves, nettle tea or a handful of finished compost
5. Using an insulated bin to retain heat

With these techniques, you can potentially have usable compost in as little as 2-3 months, rather than the 6-12 months that passive composting might take.

Identifying the Best Kitchen Scraps for Composting

Not all food waste breaks down at the same rate or contributes the same nutrients to your compost. Identifying the best kitchen scraps for composting can help you create a more balanced and effective compost pile.

Nutrient-rich items that break down quickly include:

1. Banana peels (high in potassium)
2. Coffee grounds (rich in nitrogen)
3. Crushed eggshells (provide calcium)
4. Vegetable trimmings (diverse nutrients)
5. Fruit cores and peels (except citrus in large quantities)

These items should form the foundation of your kitchen waste composting efforts. They break down relatively quickly and provide a good balance of nutrients for your finished compost.

Using Your Finished Compost

Once your compost is ready – dark, crumbly and earthy-smelling – it’s time to put it to use. Learning how to use compost soil effectively will help you get the most benefit from your efforts.

Here are some common applications:

1. Mix it into garden beds before planting
2. Use as a top dressing around established plants
3. Blend with potting soil for container plants (usually at about 25-30%)
4. Make compost tea for liquid feeding
5. Add to planting holes when establishing new plants

Homemade compost is usually too strong to use alone for seedlings or as potting soil, so blend it with other materials for these purposes.

Composting in Small Spaces: Solutions for Limited Areas

Don’t let limited space deter you from composting. Composting in small spaces is entirely possible with the right approach. Balcony gardeners and those with tiny yards can still create valuable compost using compact systems.

Wormeries, Bokashi bins and tumbling composters all offer space-efficient solutions that can fit on a balcony or tiny patio. These systems typically process kitchen waste quickly and with minimal odour, making them suitable for urban environments.

DIY Compost Bin Options

While you can purchase ready-made compost bins, making your own can be more economical and allow you to customise the size and features. DIY compost bin plans range from simple to sophisticated.

A basic bin can be made from wooden pallets wired together to form a square, with one side left detachable for easy access. More elaborate designs might include multiple chambers for compost at different stages or sliding panels for easier turning.

For smaller spaces, consider converting a plastic storage bin into a compost container by drilling ventilation holes and adding a secure lid. This type of system works well for balconies and tiny gardens.

Choosing the Right Compost Bin: Reviews and Recommendations

If you prefer to purchase a compost bin, numerous options are available. Best compost bin reviews typically evaluate factors like capacity, ease of use, durability and pest resistance.

Popular styles include:

1. Stationary bins – Simple containers with a lid and base access door
2. Tumbling composters – Rotating drums that make turning easy
3. Multi-chamber systems – Allow for continuous composting with separate sections for different stages
4. Worm bins – Specially designed for vermicomposting
5. Hot composters – Insulated units that maintain higher temperatures

The right choice depends on your space, budget and how much effort you want to invest in the process.

The Rewards of Home Composting

Creating your own compost is one of the most satisfying aspects of gardening. Not only does it reduce waste going to landfill, but it also completes the natural cycle, returning nutrients to the soil to nourish new plants.

When you learn what to compost at home, you’re taking a significant step toward more sustainable living. The rich, dark compost you produce will improve soil structure, feed your plants and enhance your garden’s resilience without relying on synthetic fertilisers.

As your confidence grows, you’ll find composting becomes second nature – an integral part of your gardening routine rather than an additional chore. The satisfaction of turning what might have been waste into valuable garden resource is immense, and your plants will reward you with vigorous growth and abundant harvests.

Whether you’re growing ornamentals, creating a wildlife haven or producing your own vegetables, homemade compost is truly the gardener’s gold – and now you have the knowledge to create your own supply at home from everyday household materials.