What goes in my compost bin?
Start by making sure you have the right ingredients, you will need a mix of kitchen scraps and garden waste. Hot Tip: You can freeze your kitchen scraps until you’re ready to add them to your compost (and save them from going to landfill in the meantime).
Nitrogen (Green):
Fruit and vegetable ends and peels
Leftover meals and food scraps
Eggshells
Citrus can go in, though it does take longer to break down
Fresh grass clippings
Carbon (Brown)
Shredded paper or newspaper
Shredded cardboard
Wood chips
Dried tree leaves and prunings
Shredded compostable packaging
Can I put meat and bones in my compost? The short answer is yes. However depending on your composting set-up meat can attract rats, so you may want to avoid this at home. For a smell proof, rat-proof composter check out CarbonCycle NZ.
How do I get started?
Really good compost requires a recipe, you can think of it like a good lasagne - layer and repeat. To ensure your compost works effectively you need to layer your carbon and your nitrogen inputs, and the method is simple:
Start with a big thick carbon (brown) layer at the bottom of your chosen compost
Add your nitrogen layer (green: food scraps)
Repeat this process every few days or as needed
Every time you add a new layer, give the compost a quick turn with a spade or pitchfork and a small sprinkling of water
About once a week you want to give your compost a really good turn with a spade
