Composting Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide for Aussie Households

Composting: let’s not overcomplicate it. The idea of setting up and using a compost is often put in the ‘too hard’ basket. But it’s really a very simple, very efficient way to tackle your food waste – while giving your plants a genuinely amazing boost in the process! 

In this guide, we’re going to lay out the facts, giving you an easy way to compost (even if you don’t have a backyard). Let’s get into it.

Why Composting Matters

The reasons for composting can be boiled down into three main categories.

1. The Environment
   Composting plays a massive role in keeping food waste out of landfills. That’s a pretty big deal, because food waste breaks down differently in landfill. It gets no oxygen, so instead of producing CO2, it breaks down into methane gas – which happens to be 28x more potent to the atmosphere than CO2.

2. Practicality
   This one’s a no-brainer. Compost is incredible for your plants and garden beds. They LOVE it. It means your general waste bin smells a whole lot less, and it also helps you save on buying fertiliser.

3. To Support Aussie Waste Collections
   Australia is a big country, but our current landfills are filling fast. Greater Sydney is on track to run out of landfill space by 2030. Only 30% of the country currently has access to FOGO bin collections. Every food scrap going into your compost is one less going into a big ditch next to where you live.

Which Composting Method Is Right For You?

There’s more than just one way to start composting. And frankly, not all of them work for every living situation. 

People have different amounts of space, time, and amounts of organic waste that they need to compost. So here are the different composting methods we suggest, depending on your living situation. 

If you have a backyard

Backyards are great for composting because they give you options (as well as a place to use your composted fertiliser!). The two main options for those with backyards are the classic compost bin or a tumbler.

Classic compost bins hold a lot more compost than the other options on this list. The catch is that they’re slightly more annoying to aerate. They take around 4-6 months to produce fertiliser.

Tumblers on the other hand are dead simple to use and can be aerated by simply turning the handle, thereby spinning your compost and getting lots of air through it. Holds less than a regular compost bin but produces fertiliser in only 2-3 months.

If you have a small yard or balcony

For those who have outdoor space but not enough for a large compost operation, worm farms might be your best option. They’re compact and highly efficient while creating little to no mess. In worm farms, worms eat your food scraps and produce castings (worm poo!) and ‘worm tea’ – both of which are amazing for plants. Small tumblers also work really well for your situation too. 

If you live in an apartment

If you live in an apartment – and don’t want to use up precious balcony space with a compost bin – then Bokashi bins are your best bet. Bokashi bins are brilliant because they exist in a sealed container that can live on your kitchen counter. They even take meat and dairy products too!

If your council offers a FOGO bin

Many people are unaware that there’s a wonderful alternative to composting your food waste and that’s letting the council do it for you. FOGO stands for Food Organics and Garden Organics. In participating areas, councils allow you to simply put your food waste in the green bin – job done! There’s no single list of all the councils that do this, but you can find out if yours does by Googling “[council name] FOGO”. 

What Can You Put In Your Compost?

A good compost needs two main things to thrive: greens and browns. Greens are the bits that come from your kitchen like fruit and vegetable scraps. Browns are things like dry leaves and cardboard. Greens provide nitrogen and moisture (feeding the microbes of your compost), browns provide carbon and structure (giving the pile air pockets and preventing sludge). 

The ideal ratio for compost is 3:1 browns to greens. A lot of older guides say 2:1, but modern wisdom has found that 3:1 leads to better aeration and a much less smelly bin overall. 

Note: This section largely applies to backyard bins, tumblers and worm farms – FOGO and Bokashi bins have looser rules. 

How To Start Your First Compost In Four Easy Steps

Right, this is how easy composting really is. These steps will also apply primarily to backyard compost bins and tumblers.

Step 1: Pick your spot

We want to make sure our compost is in the best spot from the get-go. There’s no bad spot for compost, but some spots are better than others. 

You’ll want a spot with level ground and good drainage that’s away from fencelines, not directly under a tree, and ideally on top of soil. As far as in or out of the sun, dappled shade is most ideal. Full sun (especially in the Aussie summer) can be a bit intense and dry things out too fast. Whereas full shade can have the opposite problem. 

Remember, these are ideal scenarios. But the beauty of compost is that it’ll work just about anywhere. 

Step 2: Layer it right

Start your compost with a base layer of twigs, small branches or coarse browns to create airflow and drainage from the bottom. This is one of the only steps that’s pretty non-negotiable if you want a healthy compost bin.

After that, alternate between browns and greens. As mentioned earlier, you’re ideally looking for a ratio of about 3:1 browns to greens. Do your best, but you don’t need to obsess over that number.

Golden rule: after adding greens, always finish off with browns. This is the most effective thing you can do to keep smells down and deter flies. 

Step 3: Keep it ticking over

Every week or so, turn the pile over with a garden fork or aerator tool (or a few twists of the handle on a tumbler each time you add scraps). This adds oxygen and keeps the aerobic decomposition going which reduces the smell. 

Aim to keep the compost slightly damp, similar to that of a wrung-out sponge. Too dry stalls decomposition. Too wet makes it go all slimy and gross. Add more browns if it starts to get soggy or smelly. And if it’s bone dry, add more greens.

Step 4: Harvest your compost

If you’ve done all the above steps right, you’ll eventually end up with a dark, crumbly compost bin that smells like fresh earth. At this stage, there won’t be any recognisable food scraps or ammonia smell. 

The timeline for this stage varies, but it usually takes 2-3 months for a tumbler, or 4-6 months for a backyard bin. It’s also slower in winter, which should be taken into account. 

Simply remove your compost with a shovel and use it on garden beds, mix it into potting soil, sprinkle around established plants, or use it as mulch. Go you!

Common Composting Problems (And How To Fix Them)

Why does my compost smell?

That nasty ammonia smell generally comes from adding too many greens without enough browns. Basically, the pile’s gone anaerobic (no oxygen) and is essentially rotting rather than composting. 

The fix is to add a generous layer of browns and turn the pile over to introduce more air. The problem should clear up in a few days.

Why isn't my compost breaking down?

The three main culprits for compost failing to break down are: too many browns (meaning not enough nitrogen to fuel decomposition), too dry, or the pieces are too big. 

A general way to fix this is to add more greens, add more water (if it’s bone-dry), and chop larger items into smaller pieces. 

How do I keep pests out?

The cover-your-greens-with-browns rule is the easiest way to keep pests out of your compost. Avoid putting meat, dairy, and oily food in open-style bins as well. Additionally, always make sure your lid is well secured. And if you have persistent rodent issues, consider adding a wire mesh to the base of your compost.

Can I compost in winter?

Absolutely! The only thing is that you’ll find decomposition is noticeably slower. This is a heat issue. Colder microbes are less active than warm ones. You can help out your compost by insulating the bin with a hessian sack or by surrounding it with straw. You can keep adding scraps all winter though, the pile will catch up nicely once spring arrives.