Finding the ingredients for compost is easy! A variety of brown and green waste can be found in our kitchens, gardens and recycling bins – ready to be put to good use.
The general rule of thumb for creating a good quality compost is to combine 50% green waste, (e.g. soft, leafy material, grass and kitchen peelings) with 50% brown waste, (e.g. chopped woody matter, cardboard). This balance helps to keep the compost moist and aerated.
Greens
Vegetable peelings
Fruit waste (and other food waste, depending on your composter)
Old flowers and weeds
Grass cuttings / hedge clippings
Fresh leaves
Browns
Straw
Wood shavings/pellets (depending on your composter)
Cardboard / scrunched up paper
Small twigs
Dead leaves
What should I not put in my compost?
Monty Don advises that we should avoiding putting meat, fats, cooked food, and high starch foods, (like potato, rice and pasta), in our compost bins.
He explains that whilst these do compost eventually, they take a long time and can attract pests. (Country Living)
What about tea and coffee?
Used tea leaves and coffee grounds are great for your compost, however you may wish to research before adding tea bags.
Many brands of tea bags contain plastic, which can break down when composted into microplastics. These can then make their way into the soil and the plants we grow. Click here for more information about plastic free tea bags.
To avoid microplastic contamination, you may wish to research your brand’s guidance on the compostability of their tea bags. If you’re unsure, simply snip open the bags and empty the leaves into your compost bin! (Compost Magazine)
Can biodegradable plastics go in my compost?
Biodegradable plastics also do not break down in your compost because they need a specific set of conditions, which most home compost set-ups cannot provide. This can only be done at specialised sites. Please put biodegradable plastics in your general waste bin.
DO NOT put them in your garden waste or food waste collection bins.
Can compostable plastics go in my compost?
Only packaging that says ‘home compostable’ with the OK compost sign, (see right), can be composted at home. However, you may need to experiment to find out how long it takes to break down. See here for more information about compostable plastics.
Keep in mind that packaging that says ‘compostable’ only (i.e. without the word ‘home’) cannot go into your home compost. This is because the conditions are not hot enough. ‘Compostable’ packaging needs to go to an industrial composting plant where the temperature, oxygen, moisture and microorganisms are tightly controlled for complete breakdown of packaging. This packaging should be disposed of in your residual, black bin waste.
