The beginner’s guide to composting

You’ve probably heard the word ‘composting’ being thrown around a lot these days, and for good reason: Us humans are producing way more trash than we should be.

And we’re producing it at an eerily high cost — that of a polluted, unlivable planet.

If you’re unfamiliar with the composting process or are just wondering how you can make it work in your home, here’s what you need to know and consider:

What’s composting?

To put it simply, the act of ‘composting’ is pooling together organic matter like plants and letting them break down into organic matter.

This way, items that would have been considered waste are broken down to produce a nutrient-rich soil conditioner, otherwise also known as ‘compost’, which in turn, can be used as a fertilizer for plants.

If you’re looking for a simple way to give back to the earth without letting your your food scraps go to waste, composting is the way to go.

Who is composting for?

Honestly, everybody who eats and have food scraps can easily compost, and that means all of us.

Composting is a much better alternative to just dumping your wet garbage to go to the landfills, and you’ll be throwing out a lot less trash too.

If you live in a home with a backyard, composting your scraps and leaves would be a great way to help your plants grow and stay healthy. Don’t have a backyard? No problem, even an apartment balcony can house a cozy plant corner and compost heap to keep your greens happy.

How to start composting?

For those who have the space, an outdoor tumbling composter from FCMP Outdoor will be the perfect tool to help you make your own compost.

As the name may suggest, the tumbling function of this composter helps you mix your compost pile without you having to dirty your hands. All you have to do is to close the door and turn it 5-6 times every 2-3 days.

And with the right weather conditions, the compost can be ready in 2 to 3 weeks.

For those who require a smaller, indoor version, this composting tumbler bin from Envirocycle does the job easily.

You can place it on the balcony, turn it 3 times every 3 days to aerate and mix the pile, then add the compost where its needed.

Be sure to also get a composting bin for additional scraps, since you won’t be able to add anymore until the first pile of scraps has fully composted.

How does composting work?

Once in the bin, microorganisms in the composting materials start breaking down your scrap materials down. 

Your compost heap needs to be mixed so that the microorganisms get enough oxygen to break things down, but not too much, though or you’ll risk disrupting the composting process that happens in stages.

Not all items will compost at the same rate — it can typically take weeks for your compost heap to fully compost, which is why you’ll need a separate bin to store the new food scraps you’ll inevitably collect.

What can be composted?

Most organic matter can be composted — items like crushed eggshells, vegetable scraps, onion skin and carrot peels can be added to the compost bin.

What’s not recommended: Processed food items like dairy and potato chips, and animal-sourced ones like meat, nuggets or even lard.

When shopping around for a composter, consider getting one that will trap odours and have ‘guards’ in place to prevent pests like cockroaches and bugs from getting into your compost heap.

Overall, composting is fairly simple process and doesn’t require specialist expertise to get done. In fact, once you start, you’ll likely marvel at how much less trash you’re throw out.

And did we mention how much happier your plants will be? 

Thinking of making your home more environmentally- friendly?

Start by trading your plastic shopping bags with reusable ones that are made from fabric scraps that you may have kept around the house, and swapping your paper napkins for washable, fabric ones. You can make them yourself with our FREE, easy-to-follow tutorials: