How to Make Compost at home

Gather your waste

Most people who diligently compost keep a small bin on their kitchen counter to collect food scraps, then transfer them daily to the outside bin. Outside, try to layer brown and green compost, with about a 50-50 ratio. If you live in a wetter climate, you can get away with more brown ingredients.

Here’s a more comprehensive list of what to compost, but in general:

• Green compost includes materials high in nitrogen, like coffee grounds, fruits and vegetables, food leftovers, eggshells, grass clippings, weeds and manure from barnyard animals.
• Brown compost includes materials high in carbon, like straw, dead leaves, sawdust (use untreated wood only), small branches, cardboard and newspaper.

Pro tip: While it’s technically OK to put in more durable items like branches, eggshells and avocado pits, they take a long time to break down, slowing the process. Also, shred newspaper and cardboard first so they don’t block oxygen from the pile. Remember, the smaller the pieces, the faster you’ll get a nice, even compost.

Items to avoid include:

• Meat, dairy, greasy foods and dog and cat feces, which can introduce harmful bacteria and create unpleasant odors;
• Chemically treated wood;
• Invasive weeds, diseased or pest-infested plants and anything treated with pesticides;
• Charcoal ash, because its acidity kills helpful bacteria.