How to Start Composting at Home: A Beginner's Guide

How to Start Composting at Home: A Beginner's Guide

Composting is a natural decomposition process that turns everyday organic materials into rich, crumbly compost — a powerful fertiliser for your plants and garden. If you're looking to live more sustainably, starting a compost pile at home is one of the most practical first steps you can take. It cuts down on organic waste, reduces methane emissions from landfills, and puts nutrient-rich material back into the soil where it belongs.

The good news? Home composting is far less complicated — and far less smelly — than most people expect. You just need the right materials and a little patience.

This guide covers everything you need to know: what you can and can't compost, how to set up a compost pile indoors or outdoors, and a handful of tips to keep things on track.

What You Can (and Can't) Compost

As a general rule, anything that comes from a living organism can go into your compost — with a few important exceptions. Here's what's fair game:

  • Fruit and vegetable scraps and peels
  • Eggshells
  • Coffee grounds and filters
  • Shredded newspapers
  • Yard and garden trimmings
  • Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
  • Hair and pet fur
  • Teabags
  • Paper
  • Sawdust
  • Cardboard
  • Natural wood fireplace ash
  • Straw or dead leaves

You can mix and match these freely — variety is actually a good thing in a compost pile. While you're collecting scraps between compost sessions, a countertop compost bin like this one keeps things tidy and contained in your kitchen.

The Astrik Compost Bin, made from 100% plant-based compostable plastic with an odour-blocking lid.

On the other hand, some items should stay out of your compost entirely. These tend to introduce harmful bacteria, disease, or chemicals that can spread to your plants and soil:

  • Animal waste
  • Cheese or dairy products
  • Meat, fish, or bone scraps
  • Diseased or insect-ridden plants
  • Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
  • Coal or charcoal ash
  • Chemically-treated yard clippings

How to Start a Compost Pile Indoors

Indoor composting works well no matter the size of your home. Here's how to get started, step by step.

1. Collect your kitchen scraps

Start by gathering your "green materials" — the kitchen scraps that add nitrogen to your compost mix. Keep a small countertop bin in your kitchen to collect scraps as you cook. Think vegetable peels, fruit cores, coffee grounds, and eggshells. This bin is just for collecting; it's not where the composting actually happens.

2. Set up a DIY compost bin

For the actual composting, you can make your own bin at home. You'll need:

  • A sealable container
  • A handheld drill
  • Nylon mesh
  • A hot glue gun
  • Dirt or soil

Once you have everything ready, follow these steps:

  • Drill at least five holes in the bottom of the container for drainage.
  • Cut a piece of nylon mesh to cover the drilled holes — this keeps flies and insects out.
  • Hot glue the mesh to the bottom of the bin.
  • Add a layer of dirt or soil inside the bin.
  • Place the lid on top.

Your DIY compost bin is now ready to use. If you'd prefer a ready-made option with built-in odour control, a plant-based compost bin is a great alternative.

Plant-Based Filter Set for kitchen compost bins — made from 100% biodegradable fibres for natural odour control.

3. Gather your compost ingredients

Along with your kitchen scraps, you'll need a few more things to get the mix right:

  • Green materials (kitchen scraps, fresh yard trimmings)
  • Brown materials (dried leaves, paper, cardboard, straw)
  • Water
  • A handheld shovel

4. Add the green materials

Start by adding your green materials to the bin. These nitrogen-rich scraps kickstart the decomposition process and act as the protein source for your compost pile.

5. Add the brown materials

Layer your brown materials on top of the green ones. Dried leaves, paper, ash, and straw are all high in carbon, which gives your compost its energy source and helps balance the mix.

6. Water the mixture

Moisture is essential. Once your green and brown layers are in place, water them enough to make everything damp — moist, but not waterlogged. Think of a wrung-out sponge as your target consistency.

7. Monitor moisture levels

Check your compost every one to two days. As the materials break down, you may need to add more water to keep moisture levels steady. Most indoor compost piles are ready to harvest within four to twelve weeks, depending on conditions.

8. Turn the pile regularly

Turning your compost once or twice a week with a handheld shovel introduces air, speeds up decomposition, and keeps things from going stagnant.

9. Harvest when ready

Your compost is ready when it looks and smells like dark, rich soil. At that point, you can use it in garden beds, mix it into potting soil, or work it around existing plants.

Silicone liner bag for a plant-based compost bin

How to Start a Compost Pile Outdoors

If you have outdoor space, an outdoor compost pile is a straightforward and effective option. Here's how to set one up.

1. Choose the right spot

Look for a dry, shady area that's within easy reach of a water source. Shade helps the pile retain moisture, which is key for breaking down materials efficiently. If a ground-level pile isn't practical, an outdoor compost bin works just as well.

2. Alternate green and brown layers

Start with a base of brown materials — straw, twigs, or dried leaves — to help with drainage. Then alternate between green and brown layers as you build the pile. Aim for roughly equal amounts of each: about 50% nitrogen-rich greens and 50% carbon-rich browns.

3. Add water

Water the pile to get decomposition going. Outdoors, you have a few options:

  • Rainwater (nature does the work for you)
  • A garden hose
  • Buckets of water

When you're not actively watering, cover the pile with a tarp to help it hold moisture.

4. Turn and monitor consistently

Just like with indoor composting, you'll need to keep an eye on moisture and turn the pile regularly. Add water every few days to keep things moist, and turn the pile with a rake, pitchfork, or shovel at least once a week.

5. Harvest when ready

Once the materials have fully broken down into dark, soil-like compost, it's ready to use in your garden.

Bonus Tips for Composting at Home

  • For outdoor piles, aim for a size of at least 3 feet high, wide, and deep — this helps generate and retain the heat needed for decomposition. For indoor bins, just make sure you've collected enough scraps to fill it adequately.
  • You can speed things up by adding a compost accelerator, which boosts the nitrogen levels and encourages faster breakdown.
  • If your compost starts to smell, it's usually a sign that things are too wet or the green-to-brown ratio is off. Adding more brown materials and turning the pile more often should fix it.
  • Don't forget air. Use a compost aerator each time you turn your pile to keep oxygen flowing through the mix — it makes a real difference to the speed and quality of your compost.
  • You can start composting at any time of year. Just know that things will slow down in winter, so be patient and keep turning the pile when you can.