Do you know what you can safely compost and what you definitely shouldn’t throw in the compost? Here are the rules to follow.
There are many misconceptions about what you can and cannot compost at home. It is therefore high time to take stock of what can be composted without danger and what should definitely not be composted. In fact, from the start of 2024, it will no longer be authorized to throw away surplus food with household waste. And everyone will have to compost them.
Let’s start with the coffee grounds. It can be added to compost, but coffee pods and tea bags are best not composted. A coffee pod or tea bag often appears to be made of paper, when in reality it is often made from synthetic material. And it doesn’t break down. Or it breaks down into microplastics which pollute your compost and soil. So don’t compost at home. Or, just throw the contents of the coffee pod or tea bag into the compost. The envelope must in any case be thrown away with household waste.
Regarding eggshells, it’s even simpler. By itself, nature can break down calcium-rich materials such as eggshells, but this process is very slow. Additionally, from a legal point of view, you are not allowed to compost kitchen waste that possibly contains animal (by-)products. For what ? Because such kitchen waste can attract wild animals, which eat it and thus – potentially – spread animal diseases. So don’t compost at home. Egg shells can be thrown away with organic waste. Shells, like those of mussels, should be thrown away with household waste.
And citrus fruits? We sometimes hear that citrus fruits are too acidic to be composted. But don’t worry: Microorganisms break down these acids and transform them. Your compost will not become more acidic. You don’t have to add lime to it either. We also often hear that orange peels do not compost, but only rot. But fungi are important for decomposition. So, to compost at home. For easy decomposition, you can crush the skins into smaller pieces and mix them well with all the other material to be composted.
Now let’s move on to the potato skins. According to popular belief, this would not be good, because the potatoes would have been treated to prevent premature sprouting. This was indeed the case before, but it is almost no longer the case today. To be safe, rinse the potatoes before peeling them. Sometimes potatoes are ‘gassed’ to prevent germination, but this process does not affect compostability. Potato peels can sometimes form sprouts, instead of completely breaking down. This usually happens outside your compost bin or pile, where the decaying mass dries out. In this case, stir the decomposing material from time to time and ventilate it. This restarts the composting process.”
And what about the diseased foliage of potatoes, tomatoes? If your plants are attacked by nematodes, insects or mites, you can compost these plant residues at home without any problem. These critters will die during composting. On the other hand, if your plants are attacked by fungi, bacteria and viruses (for example, tomato leaves with powdery mildew), it is strongly not recommended to compound them. The risk is too great that harmful micro-organisms will remain alive.
