Home composting
Home composting is an inexpensive and natural way to recycle kitchen and garden waste. It turns everyday materials into a nutrient‑rich compost that can be used to improve your soil and feed your plants. It is simple to set up, easy to maintain and can be done in gardens, yards or even indoors with the right equipment.
Composting at home helps reduce the amount of waste your household produces and gives you a free, useful product to use in your garden. Many people also enjoy the satisfaction of seeing their waste turned into something that supports new growth.
Why compost?
Composting at home has a number of practical advantages. It can:
- reduce the amount of waste placed in your refuse bin
- help cut carbon emissions by reducing the need to transport and process waste
- save money on fertilisers and soil improvers
- help you learn more about natural cycles and soil health
Whether you have a large garden, a small yard or only indoor space, there are composting options to suit different households.
Environmental benefits
Home composting is one of the simplest ways to reduce your impact on the environment.
- Almost half of the food waste found in household rubbish bins could have been composted.
- Around 70% of food waste is created at home.
- Composting for one year can save greenhouse gases equivalent to all the CO₂ produced by your kettle in a year, or your washing machine in three months.
When waste decomposes above ground in a home compost bin, it breaks down aerobically. This means very little methane is produced compared with landfill, where waste breaks down without oxygen. After nine to twelve months, the material becomes a free, useful compost for your garden or plant pots.
Benefits for your garden
Compost is a nutrient‑rich soil conditioner that supports healthy plant growth. It can:
- improve soil structure and fertility
- help soil retain moisture during dry spells
- improve drainage during wet weather
- balance soil pH
- suppress some plant diseases
- provide essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
- help buffer soils that are very acidic or alkaline
Adding compost regularly improves soil quality over time and helps keep your garden productive and healthy.
Setting up your compost bin
Placing a bin on soil
A reasonably sunny spot on bare soil is ideal. Soil gives insects and beneficial microbes easy access to the waste and helps with aeration and drainage.
Using wire mesh
If you are concerned about vermin, you can place wire mesh beneath the bin.
To do this:
- Dig a shallow hole about 1 inch deep, matching the diameter of the bin.
- Cut a piece of mesh slightly larger than the base.
- Lay the mesh over the hole and place the bin on top.
Placing a bin on paving
If you can remove the paving beneath the compost bin, this is the best option for paved or courtyard gardens. It allows soil‑dwelling organisms to reach the compost easily and helps with aeration and drainage.
If removing paving is not possible, there are a few things to consider:
- Liquid may seep from the bottom of the bin and stain paving underneath or around it.
- If staining could be a problem, consider creating a small raised bed filled with soil to place the bin on. The soil will contain any liquid, and you can plant around the bin to make it a feature.
- If you are placing the bin on older paving and staining is not a concern, you will need to introduce soil‑dwelling organisms manually. Add a shovelful or two of soil to the bottom of the bin, or ideally some compost from a mature heap. This helps kick‑start the composting process. It may take a little longer for the bin to get going, but it will soon become full of life.
Placing a bin on gravel
A bin can sit directly on gravel. If a membrane has been installed under the gravel, cut a hole or slits in it so organisms can access the compost. Use a plastic sheet when emptying the bin to protect the gravel from spills.
Placing a bin on concrete
If the bin must be placed on concrete, add a thin layer of soil to the bottom of the bin. This helps attract worms and other beneficial organisms.
Screening your compost bin
If you do not have a hidden spot for your compost bin, you can screen it using:
- shrubs or potted plants
- trellis panels
- bamboo or willow screening
This helps the bin blend into your garden or outdoor space.
|
Greens Quick to rot and provide important nitrogen and moisture. |
Browns Slower to rot, provide carbon and fibre and allow air pockets to form. |
Keep this out! Certain things should never be put in your bin. |
|---|---|---|
| Animal manure with straw | Autumn leaves | Bones |
| Annual weeds | Cardboard | Bread |
| Bracken | Christmas tree | Cat litter |
| Carrot tops | Corn starch liners | Cigarette ends |
| Citrus peel | Cotton towels and cotton wool | Coal ash |
| Coffee grounds | Egg boxes and egg shells | Dairy products |
| Cut flowers | Evergreen pruning | Disposable nappies |
| Fruit peelings and pulp | Nuts | Dog faeces |
| Grass clippings | Paper bags | Dog food |
| Hedge clippings | Privet | Meat and fish scraps |
| House plants | Sweetcorn cobs | Olive oil |
| Old bedding plants | Thorny pruning's | Soiled tissues |
| Rhubarb leaves | Tomato plants | |
| Tea leaves and bags | Used kitchen paper | |
| Vegetable peelings | Wood ash (cold) |
Step by step guide
1. Find the right site
Place your compost bin in a reasonably sunny spot on bare soil if possible. This allows worms and microbes to enter easily and helps with aeration and drainage.
If you need to place the bin on concrete, tarmac or patio slabs, add a layer of paper, twigs or existing compost to the bottom. Choose a location where you can easily add materials and remove the finished compost.
2. Add the right ingredients
Keep a small container indoors, such as a kitchen caddy or an old ice‑cream tub, to collect compostable items. Suitable ingredients include:
- vegetable and fruit peelings
- tea bags
- cardboard tubes
- cereal boxes
- eggshells
Do not add cooked food, meat or fish.
3. Fill it up
Empty your kitchen caddy into the compost bin along with suitable garden waste. Aim for roughly a 50/50 mix of “greens” (fresh waste such as peelings and grass cuttings) and “browns” (dry material such as leaves, cardboard and twiggy waste). This balance helps produce good compost.
4. Wait a while
Composting takes between 9–12 months. Keep adding greens and browns to top up the bin. Turning the compost about once a month will improve airflow and help create a better final product.
Check if it’s ready
Compost is ready to use when it has turned into a dark, crumbly material that looks like moist soil and has an earthy smell.
6. Removing the compost
Lift the bin slightly or use the hatch at the bottom to scoop out the finished compost using a garden fork, spade or trowel.
7. Use it
It is normal to see small twigs or bits of eggshell in the final compost. These can be sifted out and returned to the bin. Use the compost to enrich borders, vegetable patches, patio containers or even your lawn.
Using your compost
Compost is ready when it is dark brown, crumbly, slightly moist and smells earthy. Homemade compost will not look like shop‑bought compost and may contain small twigs or eggshells — this is completely normal. Sieve out larger pieces and return them to the bin to continue breaking down.
Compost is nutrient‑rich and helps improve soil structure, retain moisture and support plant health. It contains the key nutrients plants need, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and can help balance soils that are very acidic or alkaline.
Flowerbeds
Before planting, dig a layer of compost (around 10cm) into the soil.
For existing flowerbeds, spread a thin layer of compost around the base of plants, avoiding direct contact with soft stems. Nutrients will naturally work their way into the soil.
Enrich new borders
Spread up to a 5cm layer of compost over borders. Worms will pull it down into the soil, or you can dig it into the ground before planting.
Again, leave small gaps around soft‑stemmed plants.
Mulch
Rough compost (where not everything has broken down) makes an excellent mulch. Spread it over flowerbeds and around shrubs to:
- prevent soil erosion
- replenish nutrients
- help the soil retain moisture
Around trees
Give potted plants a boost by removing the top few centimetres of old soil and replacing it with fresh compost.
Leave space around soft‑stemmed plants to avoid damage.
Replenish pots
Give your potted plants and containers an extra boost by removing the top few centimeters of existing soil and adding your freshly made compost.
Leave a gap around soft stemmed plants. This will provide food for your plants and flowers and is a great way to make them more healthy and robust.
Patio containers
Mix home compost with regular soil or leaf mould to make a nutritious potting mix. About a third of the mixture should be compost (use slightly less when sowing seeds).
Home compost is too strong to use on its own for planting into, but it adds valuable nutrients.
Healthier herbs and vegetables
Compost is ideal for herbs such as chives, parsley and mint. Crumble compost around their base to encourage healthy, leafy growth.
Vegetables also benefit from compost‑enriched soil. Apply compost with each rotation — it is especially useful for crops like potatoes and carrots.
Feeding your lawn
Dressing your lawn with compost helps young grass take root and improves overall lawn health.
- Sieve the compost to remove twigs or large pieces.
- Mix it with an equal amount of sharp sand to help it spread easily.
- Apply a layer of around 2.5cm.
Established lawns benefit from this nutrient boost. Avoid applying compost to freshly seeded or newly turfed lawns, as it can scorch young grass.
For further information and tips on composting, please visit recycle now's compost page.
You can download this home composting information for a handy keep at home guide.
Compost bins are available to purchase at a discounted rate from Gloucestershire County Council. Please visit the get composting website or call 0844 571 4444 for more information.