Home Composting

Home composting plays a major role in modern waste management. By composting waste, you are engaging in a meaningful form of recycling and thus helping to reduce the amount of waste.

However, in many cases, not all compostable materials can be processed in a home compost pile. Food scraps, weeds, and large amounts of grass clippings and prunings pose particular problems. Such waste can be easily disposed of in the organic waste bin. The two composting methods are therefore not mutually exclusive but rather complement each other.

Tips

1. Always set up your compost pile on soil, not on a layer of gravel or on slabs. This allows earthworms and other small animals to crawl from the soil into the compost pile and break down the organic material. This also helps prevent water from pooling in the compost.
2. Shred your yard waste. This speeds up the decomposition process, retains moisture, and thus shortens the decomposition time. When setting up your compost pile, it’s best to start with a layer of shredded twigs. Then gradually add the other materials in layers.
3. Compost needs air. Therefore, do not use closed containers or compost pits. Thoroughly mixing the individual materials promotes the necessary aeration. Smaller compost piles that are set up correctly do not necessarily need to be turned. However, turning them is recommended to ensure even moisture distribution and mixing. For larger compost piles, however, turning is absolutely necessary.
4. If possible, set up your compost pile in a spot that’s sheltered from the wind and in the shade or partial shade. This will prevent the compost from drying out. Hedges aren’t just a nice privacy screen; they also block the wind.
5. Adequate moisture is necessary for proper composting, but it shouldn't be too wet either. Make sure the moisture level is right. Here's a simple test to help you: When you squeeze the compost material in your hand, it shouldn't drip, but your palm should feel damp.
6. Always cover food scraps that might attract animals well with soil or other composting material. Additives and compost accelerators are usually unnecessary. To speed up the composting process, you can mix in a few shovelfuls of finished compost. Commercially available compost starters serve the same purpose. The duration of the composting process depends on maintenance, the materials used, and the size of the compost pile. As a rule of thumb, with optimal care, the compost will be fully decomposed after about six months.