The Do’s and Don’ts of Composting at Home

by Kristen Gmerek June 22, 2020

Need a new home activity for you and the family to try? We’ve got an idea for you!

Composting at home can be a fun and inexpensive way to reduce food waste, lower your carbon footprint, and provide natural nourishment for your garden or indoor plant babies. Instead of digging through the overwhelming amount of online resources for composting, we have put together some “Do’s and Don’ts” to help you get started.

The Do’s

Find a space in your home (most people prefer the kitchen) for your composting bin and remember to make sure the bin has a filter to help contain any potential odor.

Create a calendar reminder for when you need to replace your filter. Your filter should be changed every 4 to 6 months. You can find filter replacements right here on Well Earth Goods!

Ensure you are adding a mixture of “Greens and “Browns” to your compost bin. “Greens” are typically food waste, but make sure you are only composting the following:

Fruits
Vegetables
Tea bags
Coffee grounds
Flowers
Egg Shells
Rice & Grains
Cooked food without oil, dairy, or meet

Here are some examples of “Browns” that can be added to your compost:

Egg cartons
Newspapers
Dried leaves
Pine needles

The Don’ts

Now for the “don’ts”! Composting is a natural process that requires maintenance and care so remembering these steps will help this at-home, earth conscious, science experiment go right.

Don’t just throw “Greens” and “Browns” into the compost bin. The best results for compost come with a layering process. As if you are making lasagna, alternate the layers of “Greens” and “Browns” for the best decomposition results.

Avoid adding any of the following scraps to your composting bin:

Meat or Fish

Anything cooked with oil, dairy or meat

Bones

Oil & Butter

Dairy

Last but not least... Don’t forget to share your at-home composting journey with us on social media!

From Our Family to Yours; Stay well.

Jocelynn and Lee,

Well Earth Goods

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/07/828918397/how-to-compost-at-home