Discover composting benefits, best practices, and how to get started.
Composting has become an essential habit for many Australian homes. It offers a simple alternative to combatting the 312kg of food that the average Australian wastes each year. That’s the equivalent of one in every five of your grocery bags being thrown out, or roughly $2,500 per household, per year.
Our guide to composting includes understanding what compost is, how the process works, why incorporating composting into our lives is beneficial, and knowing how to compost properly. Time to get your green thumb ready!
What is composting?
Composting is an eco-friendly process of recycling organic matter (such as food scraps) into compostable fertiliser for soil and plants. The decomposing organic matter offers an ideal environment for bacteria, fungi, and other organisms to thrive. This resulting matter ends up becoming nutrient-rich soil, known as compost.
Why is composting beneficial?
Composting at home has more benefits to the environment than you may think.
Firstly, food waste attributes to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as 3% of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. By composting at home, you’re helping to divert waste away from landfills and other costly waste management processes.
Composting reduces water waste
Not only does compost offer natural alternatives in agriculture, but it also eases our burden on water restrictions. In most regional states and territories, water usage and conservation are significant issues. Nutrient-rich compost aids this process by having great water retention. This reduces the need for irrigation and the more frequent watering of crops.
It's a natural alternative
Compost offers a natural alternative for farmers who may use synthetic fertilisers. The main nutrients of compost (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) also afford farmers the benefit of optimal crop growth. In agriculture, compost has been famously coined as “Black Gold.”
Composting reduces water waste
Not only does compost offer natural alternatives in agriculture, but it also eases our burden on water restrictions. In most regional states and territories, water usage and conservation are significant issues. Nutrient-rich compost aids this process by having great water retention. This reduces the need for irrigation and the more frequent watering of crops.
How to compost: The Do’s & Don’ts
Before you begin your composting journey at home, it’s important to keep a few important rules in mind. These include knowing the difference between compostable and biodegradable materials and learning what the magic rule of thumb is for creating a healthy compost mix.
| Biodegradable | Compostable |
| Breaks down into smaller pieces | Breaks down into non-toxic components |
| Requires heat, oxygen, water, and microbes, but may never fully break down | Requires heat, oxygen, water, and microbes to fully break down |
| Different materials take longer to degrade (e.g., a plastic bag takes 1,000 years to degrade in landfill.) | Breaks down completely and doesn’t harm plant growth |
| Plastics never full degrade, only into microplastics which pollute the environment |
Now that you know the difference between biodegradable and compostable, we’ve created a list of household goods that you can and cannot compost. The trick for successful composting, is to have triple the number of brown scraps over green or white scraps. This will help you avoid a smelly, sludgy compost pile that won’t stink up your home.
| Compostable | Non-Compostable |
| Fruit peels | Grease/oil |
| Fruit cores | Stickers on fruit and vegetables |
| Veggie skins | Pesticides or harmful chemicals |
| Breads and grains | Meat, fish and dairy products |
| Coffee grounds | Glass |
| Plastic-free teabags (without staple) | Coal |
| Grass clippings | Aluminium wrap |
| House plants | Pet or human waste |
| Egg shells | Feminine products or diapers |
| Used paper towels | Leather or glossy paper |
| Nut shells | Any type of plastic |
| Flowers | Treated sawdust |
| Wood chips | Onion or garlic scraps |
| Tissues | Toxic plants or weeds |
| Animal hair & clippings | |
| Vacuum cleaner lint | |
| Cotton and wool products | |
| Brown paper products (toilet rolls, cardboard etc) |
There you have it! All you need now is an outdoor compost tumbler, or an indoor stainless steel compost bin and composting will become a regular habit in your household. If you’d like to continue your sustainable journey, then Nectr also has a range of solar and battery plans for you to choose from. Reduce your carbon footprint and your bills at the same time.
