How to Make Compost from Kitchen Waste

Food Forest Abundance - How to Make Compost from Kitchen Waste

Composting kitchen scraps provide a useful way to reduce your carbon footprint, total waste, and maximize the usage of organic items that would otherwise end up in a landfill. So, let's answer the question of how to make compost from kitchen waste.As well as the points from the above, composting also has many benefits for your garden. Such as adding rich nutrients to the soil, promoting drainage, increasing water retention, and keeping weeds down.While you don’t need to be an expert to make quality compost, you do have to properly follow the process to reap its full benefits. In this article, you will learn how to make compost from kitchen waste the right way and which practices you should avoid.

Prepare for Composting

Your first step is to find a place where you’ll be making the compost. Although composting is ideally done outdoors, you can also do it in different areas of your home. Including; the kitchen, backyard, terrace, or balcony.Next, separate your food waste from your dry waste. Put them in different containers to avoid insects and worms from getting into them.

Balancing Greens & Browns

To begin, include both green and brown materials in your compost. Your bins 'greens' are items rich in nitrogen, which can consist of items such as; vegetable scraps and fruit peelings.Meanwhile, brown materials are rich in carbon, such as dried leaves, corn stalks, straw or hay, wood chips, sawdust, and shredded paper. Make sure that both materials are cut no more than an inch long.If particles are broken down into smaller pieces, it speeds up the soil’s absorption of nutrients and the entire composting process.

Bury Kitchen Waste in the Ground

One of the most common methods used for organic waste is called pit composting or trench composting. Doing this helps the green and brown materials stay warm in the winter and damp and cool in the summer.Pit composting involves digging a hole 12 to 14 inches deep and burying your compost materials. It is best to layer the brown materials on top of the green ones to accelerate the process of nutrient breakdown.

Use a Three-Bin Compost System

You can invest in a three-bin system for composting kitchen waste. Using three separate bins enables you to mix different materials for your compost.The first bin consists of fresh waste from your kitchen and garden. Once the materials start breaking down, they can be moved to the second bin. Lastly, the third bin holds the finished composted material.An advantage of using these bins is that they are easy to aerate. Unlike pit composting, there is no need for digging. You can also choose to make a DIY compost bin using an extra bucket.

Know What Not to Compost

Here are a few items that should not be placed into your kitchen waste compost:●  Meat, bones, or other animal products (gristle, fat, skin.)●  Fish products●  Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)●  Animal waste●  Any type of grease or oils

Conclusion

If you have an overabundance of food waste every time you cook, they can make a great compost material. Composting your kitchen waste is an excellent way of turning garbage into something beneficial for you & your plants.Want to build a more sustainable kitchen? Check out our blueprints to start growing your own food through indoor or outdoor gardens and put that compost to use!