Kitchen Scraps You Can and Can’t Compost
We all know that using your kitchen food scraps for composting is a simple and effective way to reduce household waste and make a contribution towards a cleaner and greener environment.
As well as this, implementing a food waste compost system in your garden is one of the best ways to create a natural alternative to chemical fertilisers, which in turn, improves the health and overall structure of your soil!
But in order to get the best out of your composting efforts, you should be wary of what to and what not to add to your kitchen compost bin or bucket!
The do’s
Food scraps that have the ‘compost tick of approval’ include:
- All fruit and vegetable scraps, including citrus peels if you cut them up finely
- Fruit and vegetable pulp from juicing
- Coffee grounds
- Tea leaves (if you use tea bags, just rip open the bag and compost the leaves only)
- Egg shells, crushed
- Old herbs and spices
- Stale bread, cereals crackers and pizza crusts
- Cooked and uncooked grains, including barley, rice and oatmeal
- Old and dried out seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and avocado (but be sure to chop them up to avoid sprouting)
- Paper towels or napkins
- Used toothpicks
The don’ts
- Any form of meat wastage, including bones, fat and skin
- Poultry and fish
- Cooking oils
- All kinds of dairy products
- Whole eggs
- Baked goods such as cakes and pastries
- Printed or glossy paper cupcake/muffin moulds
And if you’re ever in a predicament where you’re unsure of whether something is compostable or not, just ask yourself these questions and if the answers match, then you’re all in the clear:
- Would the food be likely to attract pests? NO
- Do you think the food will be able to break down and deteriorate? YES
- Will it cause an unpleasant smell in your kitchen compost bin? NO, thanks!
If you enjoyed learning about kitchen composting throughout this article, why not have a read of our 4 Tips For A Zero Waste Kitchen blog as well?
