Rot On: How to Compost at Home

By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer

In early 2019, I was looking for ways to save money at home. One day, I thought, “Hmm, maybe I can get rid of my trash bill!” I looked at my kitchen garbage and noticed how much plastic and food waste was in there.

“What am I doing?!” I asked myself.

I felt like a hypocrite — at the time, I was working in climate change communications, but I wasn’t living an eco-friendly life. I knew it was time for a change. That’s when I started reducing my waste and composting, which means turning things such as leaves and food scraps into fertilizer.

Let’s talk about why we should compost and how to do it.

Why Should We Compost?

We’re living in a world that’s getting hotter because of human activity. We also have problems such as damaged lands, world hunger, and too much trash. When people waste food, it often goes to landfills and creates methane, a gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and worsens climate change.

In fact, the United Nations says that 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food loss and waste (and cost the US about $1 trillion per year). That’s about five times more than all airplane emissions combined!

Even actions such as raking leaves can be harmful. Leaves are nature’s mulch — they protect soil, give bugs a home, and make great compost. That’s why some people say “They’re called ‘leaves’ because you’re supposed to leave them!”

Composting: The Awesome Option

There’s a better place to put your green waste: in a compost bin or pile! Once it biogrades, or breaks down, it becomes a precious, nutrient-rich soil — if done correctly. In the end, you’re completing a natural cycle, giving back to the earth what came from it.

And composting helps solve big problems:

Healthy soil pulls carbon out of the air, helping to cool the planet.

It holds more water, which helps during droughts.

It grows more food, supporting a more sustainable system.

Want to learn more? Check out permaculture, a way of working with nature, instead of against it, to grow food, cycle waste, build homes, and create communities.

Did You Know?

According to EOS Data Analytics, a company that uses satellites to help farmers and foresters, soil stores a massive amount of carbon — about twice as much as what’s in the air and 3.5 times more than all living beings combined.

Composting 101

Composting is happening all over — from schools and businesses to city programs that collect food scraps. You can also do it at home! Here’s a starter guide, and check out this page for more information.

Where Can You Compost?

You can compost indoors or outdoors. Think about:

Where you live
How much and what kind of food or yard waste you make
How much time you want to spend on composting

Cold vs Hot Composting

There are two main ways to compost:

Cold composting is slow and easy.

Good if you don’t have much waste
Great if you want a “set it and forget it” method

Hot composting is faster and more hands-on.

Better if you make more waste
Great if you want compost more quickly and don’t mind a little work

Not sure which method to choose? Here’s a table to help you decide:

Hot vs Cold Composting

Hot Composting (Fast Method)	Cold Composting (Slow Method)
Temperature: 130–160°F (54–71°C) (Although, some say the temperature should be below 150.8°F, or 66°C, to keep helpful microbes alive.)	Temperature: Whatever the outdoor temperature is (no heat buildup)
Speed: Ready in 4–8 weeks (with proper care)	Speed: Takes 6 months to 2 years
Requires: – A good balance of greens (wet stuff) and browns (dry stuff) – Turn the pile every few days – Keep it damp, like a wrung-out sponge	Requires: – Just keep adding stuff – Nature does the rest
Pros: – Works fast – Kills weed seeds and bad germs	Pros: – Super easy – Great for beginners
Cons: – Needs more work and attention	Cons: – Takes longer – Might not kill bad germs or weed seeds

What Can You Compost?

Now that you’ve picked a composting method, let’s talk about what you can put in it!

You can use most of the same stuff for both hot and cold composting, but cold composting is better with safe, simple materials, since it doesn’t get hot enough to kill germs or weed seeds.

Tip: Chop or break things into smaller pieces (no bigger than a finger) to help them break down faster!

What to Add (and What to Avoid)

Material	Hot Composting?	Cold Composting?
Fruit & veggie scraps	Yes	Yes
Coffee grounds & filters	Yes	Yes
Tea bags (no plastic)	Yes	Yes
Grass clippings	Yes	Yes
Dry leaves	Yes	Yes
Shredded cardboard/paper	Yes	Yes
Straw or hay	Yes	Yes
Sawdust (untreated wood only)	Yes	Yes
Paper towels/napkins (plain)	Yes	Yes
Garden trimmings	Yes	Yes
Plant-based food scraps (no oil)	Yes	Yes
Eggshells (crushed)	Yes	Yes
Weeds with seeds	Yes (heat kills seeds)	No (seeds survive)
Diseased plants	Yes (heat kills seeds)	No
Meat, bones, dairy, greasy foods	Use the bokashi method (see below)	No
Animal waste (pet feces)	Only with special system	No

= Safe to compost

= Avoid

= Only with extra care or special setup

Air, Water, and Balance Matter!

To keep your compost healthy and working right, it needs:

Air (so it doesn’t get smelly)
Water (like a damp sponge — not too wet or too dry)
A mix of browns and greens

The best balance is 2–4 parts “browns” (dry stuff) for every 1 part “green” (wet stuff).

Browns = Give structure, reduce smell, and soak up moisture
Greens = Add nitrogen and help break things down

Examples of Greens and Browns

Greens (Nitrogen-Rich)	Browns (Carbon-Rich)
Fruit and vegetable scraps	Dry leaves
Coffee grounds and filters	Shredded newspaper
Grass clippings	Straw or hay
Tea bags (no plastic)	Sawdust (from chemical-free wood)
Plant-based food scraps (no oils or meat)	Pine needles
Fresh garden trimmings (such as weeds)	Small wood chips
Crushed eggshells	Shredded plain paper
Fresh plant cuttings (not diseased)	Cornstalks or other dry plants
Manure from plant-eating animals (such as cows, rabbits, and horses)	Cardboard (broken into small pieces)

Now that you know what to compost, let’s talk about where to put it! Check out the different types of compost bins, which composting methods they work best for, and why they might be a good fit for you.

Types of Compost Bins

Bin Type	Hot Composting?	Cold Composting?	Why?
Open bin (example)	No	Yes	Good for large amounts, and needs less care.
Closed bin (example)	Yes (with effort)	Yes	Hot: Keeps heat in better than open bins. Cold: Slower but neat and contained.
Tumbler bin (example)	Yes	No	Keeps heat in and easy to turn often.
Kitchen bin (example)	No	No	They’re for collecting scraps indoors, which then go to an outdoor bin or service.

Other Composting Methods

Vermicomposting (Indoor or Outdoor)

Vermicomposting is composting with worms — but not just any worm! You need red wigglers, which love compost and are easy to care for. They’re great at breaking down food waste. Want to get started? Here’s a beginner’s guide.

Bokashi “Composting” (Indoor or Outdoor)

Bokashi composting is perfect for things that regular composting can’t handle, such as meat, bones, dairy, greasy foods, and candy. It’s not really composting, but a type of fermentation. The word “bokashi” means “fermented organic matter” in Japanese, and it’s a fast and efficient way to break down food waste.

How it works:

Put waste into a small airtight container (with a drain at the bottom to catch a liquid called “bokashi tea,” which can be used on your plants when mixed with water).
After each layer of food, add some bokashi bran, which has helpful microorganisms in it to start fermentation.
Seal the bin and wait for a couple of weeks — it will look like pickled food when done.
You can either bury it in soil or add it to regular compost to finish breaking down.

Visit Bokashi Living to learn more and buy a starter kit!

Trench Composting (Outdoor)

Trench composting is simple! Dig a hole (1–1.5 feet deep, or 0.3-0.5 meters), throw in your food waste, cover it up, and leave it alone. It works for meat and dairy, too, but it’s slow like cold composting. Here are some tips:

Dig away from plant roots to avoid harming them.
Don’t plant anything on top of the trench, because the ground will sink while the food breaks down.
Keep the food waste moist — add water if you live in a dry place.

Conclusion: Reconnect with Nature

Over the years, humans have become more distanced from nature because of technology (TV, video games, and the internet). But composting is a way to reconnect with the Earth and help solve climate and biodiversity issues. Plus, it can make you feel more connected to your food and the environment!

When I started composting, I realized how much our everyday choices impact the planet. It also improved my mental health. Let’s show nature a little respect!

Main image: Photo of compost. Image by Herbert from Pixabay.