Maximize Compost Efficiency: The Extensive List of Safe Kitchen Waste for Composting

Posted byEarthly ComfortsPosted inEarthen PassionsTags:, , , , , ,
Friends often ask me what foods are safe to put into the compost heap.

The list of foods that you can compost is enormous.

Composting doesn’t require any special treatment of the waste, but a few simple adjustments can make the process smoother for you and the decomposition process.

My household produces, on average monthly, roughly 25 litres of food waste. I have a kitchen caddy that holds 5 litres of debris. 

Previously, my waste from the kitchens would be distributed to three locations – worm farms and bokashi bins- and directly to the compost pile. However, all my kitchen wastes are placed directly into my bokashi containers today. Each one has a 32-litre capacity. I have eleven, and due to collecting four other households’ weekly kitchen waste, l fill each 32L weekly. I shall write another post regarding the Bokashi bin at a later date.

A few years ago, I produced more food waste for the compost bin than I do now—nearly 50 litres of food per month. However, life changes, and so do personal diets. Back then, I was eating more meat, whilst now I am mostly a vegetarian, so my waste is cleaner, keener, and slimmer. Therefore, the diversity of the food types that now are considered waste is much smaller.

I used to shred the kitchen waste for the compost heap, but I no longer do that and don’t need to do so for the bokashi’s fermentation process, which breaks it down in other ways. The smaller items are, the easier they can break down and decompose more efficiently. However, as I am a hot composter for the better part of each year, that process quickly breaks down food. Hot composting is a method that involves maintaining a high temperature in the compost pile, which accelerates the decomposition process and kills off weed seeds and pathogens, resulting in a faster and more efficient composting process.

It’s a good idea for composters to break their food items into smaller pieces and not go to the extremes of blending food wastes, which l now only perform when preparing food for the wormeries. Still, smaller items break down more effectively even if not maintaining a hot compost heap.

Bite-size waste pieces make for easier consumption by micro and macro residents in a heap. I emptied the contents into the pile, pitchforked it a few times, and then covered it until the next time.

Some food types benefit from being broken down before being added to the compost. Shredding, blending, or chopping these items can significantly speed up their natural decomposition process, which is often longer than that of other types.

A head of lettuce, for example, can take 25 years to decompose in a landfill. Most vegetables take 5 – 7 days to break, while paper takes 20 to 40 days. Certain vegetables left unbroken and added to the heap take longer to separate.

None of my food waste today is placed into rubbish to be disposed of in a landfill. Everything is placed directly into the Bokashi bins or worm farms.

Like the lettuce head can take time, so too can the shells of nuts, the avocado pit stone [the latter l tend to break with a hammer as they can seed and sprout in a heap if left whole], the avocado skins, banana peels do break down, but they can take a month alone.

Orange peelings can take six months. Brussels sprouts, as do most brassicas, need some encouragement. Even broccoli stalks can be slow to crumble. A mere apple core can take some time, especially if the compost pile is turned over only occasionally.

Remember, the facts are clear: Your role in breaking down your kitchen wastes, regardless of the method you choose, is crucial. It contributes to the delicate balance of your heap, compost pile, and the quality of the humus for your soils and gardening.

All this aside, to answer the main question, what foods are safe to put into the heap?

The ingredient list for composting is indeed extensive. In a future post, I will provide a more comprehensive list of actual foods and kitchen waste that can be used for composting. This will help you understand the diversity of items that can contribute to your compost pile.
Crushed EggshellFruitVegetablesCoffee Grounds/Loose Tea/Coffee Filters
Tea Bags

[If unsure of the composition of the bag, tear open and use contents only]		Vegetable PeelingsFruit SkinsStale/Old Crackers/Crumbs
Bread/Toast/CrumbsOld/Stale Breakfast cerealsCooked foods – vegetables, rice, pastaStale/Soiled/Old/Freezer Burned foods
Old Spices/Dried HerbsPopcornKitchen TowelsHome Brewing Wastes
There is quite a lot there already, and the overall list for composting is enormous when you start to consider everything from not just the kitchen, but other areas of your house, your life and of course, your garden too. But l will discuss this in time.
The beauty of composting and natural waste management is the result. The end product awards the composter a great sense of achievement and the reward it offers your gardening experience – be this vegetable, flowering, herb or fruit growing. Compost enriches your soil with a bounty of nutrients that encourages your garden to bloom and produce.

Published by Earthly Comforts

The Earthly Comforts blog supports my gardening business.

10 thoughts on “Maximize Compost Efficiency: The Extensive List of Safe Kitchen Waste for Composting”

      1. You’re welcome, Rory. Just to catch you up to date, our birds have both died and we decided not to get anymore. I find it has become challenging to take care of things properly at my age. It’s shocking how quickly that stage of life comes about. 😊

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      2. Oh no 😦

        I am so sorry Betty top hear of the losses of the featherlies, but they had a great life with you and Bud and they both brought you both joy and that in our small world is a huge blessing.

        You are in my thoughts.

        Wishing you a lovely week.

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