Composting Kitchen Waste at Home: A Simple Guide
Roughly a third of household waste is food scraps. Composting turns that "trash" into free fertiliser for plants.
Kitchen waste β fruit peels, vegetable trimmings, coffee grounds, eggshells, and leftovers β is full of nutrients. Instead of sending it to landfill where it rots and releases methane, you can compost it into a dark, earthy soil conditioner. It is easier than most people think.
What to Compost
- Green (nitrogen): vegetable scraps, fruit peels, coffee grounds, tea leaves, fresh grass.
- Brown (carbon): dry leaves, shredded paper, cardboard, small twigs.
A rough balance of greens and browns keeps the pile aerated and odour-free. Avoid meat, dairy, and oily food in simple home bins, as they attract pests.
Three Easy Methods
- Bin or pile: layer greens and browns, turn occasionally, keep lightly moist.
- Bokashi: a sealed fermenting system that handles cooked food and fits small homes.
- Vermicompost: worms turn scraps into rich castings β great for apartments.
Why Bother?
Composting cuts the volume of waste you send to landfill, lowers methane emissions, and gives you free compost that improves soil and plant health. It closes a natural loop that incineration and landfill cannot.
Learn More
Kitchen waste is one of the four categories β read the four waste categories guide to see where it fits. The Chinese knowledge base has detailed item-by-item sorting advice.