How to Start Composting at Home (Even in a Small Space)

Turn food scraps and yard waste into garden gold with this beginner-friendly composting guide.

Composting is one of the easiest and most impactful things you can do for the environment. It helps reduce landfill waste, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and creates rich, natural fertilizer for your plants. And the best part? You don’t need a big backyard or fancy equipment to get started.

At Earthshopp, we believe every home can be more sustainable, one small step at a time. Here’s how to start composting, whether you live in a house, apartment, or anywhere in between.

What Is Composting?

Composting is the natural process of breaking down organic materials like food scraps, paper, and leaves into nutrient-rich soil. It’s nature’s way of recycling, and you can do it right at home.

What Can You Compost?

Fruit and veggie scraps

Coffee grounds and filters

Tea bags (without plastic)

Eggshells

Shredded paper or cardboard

Yard trimmings and leaves

What to Avoid: Meat, dairy, oily foods, glossy paper, and pet waste

Choose Your Composting Style

Countertop Compost Bin

Great for collecting scraps before moving them to an outdoor or community bin. Choose one with a charcoal filter to reduce odor.

Backyard Compost Pile or Bin

Ideal if you have a garden. You can build a simple bin with wood or wire.

Apartment Options

Look into local drop-off programs, bokashi composting, or vermicomposting (composting with worms!).

The Right Mix: Greens + Browns

A healthy compost needs a balance of:

Greens (wet items like food scraps and grass)
Browns (dry items like paper, cardboard, and leaves)

Aim for a 2:1 ratio, twice as many browns as greens, to keep things from getting too smelly or wet.

Stir & Wait

Turn your pile every week or two to help things break down faster. Compost can take anywhere from 2 months to a year to fully mature, depending on the method and materials.

Composting Starter Essentials

Kitchen Compost Bin

Compact, clean, and odor-fighting, perfect for collecting daily food scraps right on your counter. Its sleek design and built-in charcoal filter make it ideal for everyday use in small spaces.

The Kitchen’s Astrik Compost Bin

Made from recycled plastic and renewable sugarcane, this bin is fully compostable at the end of its life. Stylish and sustainable, it’s designed to blend in beautifully while helping you reduce food waste.

Why This Matters

Food waste in landfills creates methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO₂. Composting not only reduces that impact but also returns nutrients to the earth, improving soil and plant health naturally.

What You Can Do

Start with a simple bin on your kitchen counter.
Talk to your kids about where food waste goes.
Share extra compost with neighbors or community gardens.
Encourage your school or workplace to compost.

Choose compostable or reusable products to reduce kitchen waste. Support brands that offer compostable packaging and low-waste options. Ask yourself: Can this be composted instead of trashed?

You don’t need a huge yard or special tools to make a difference. Just collecting your scraps in a small bin is a step toward reducing waste and fighting climate change. Every banana peel, coffee ground, or veggie scrap you compost keeps methane out of the air and helps nourish the soil.

At Earthshopp, we’re proud to support simple composting solutions for every space, from tiny kitchens to full gardens.