Odds are, 20–30% of everything you throw away is either food scraps or yard waste. In many homes, this chunk ends up in landfills, releasing methane.
The good news is that you could keep these scraps from ever making it to a landfill. Better yet, you can use them to help maximize the yield of your backyard garden.
In this post, I’ll show you how to turn kitchen scraps into a precious resource!
Not All Kitchen Scraps Are Created Equal
Can you sweep anything from your table, toss it in a pile in your backyard, and call it compost?
The simple answer is no.
The scraps that you can safely compost are:
- Coffee grounds
- Loose tea leaves (after you extract and drink the delicious tea, of course!)
- Eggshells
- Nutshells
- Spoiled “dry” goods (flour, crackers, pasta, etc.)
- Vegetable and fruit leftovers
On the other hand, some stuff is best left out of your compost pile, including grease, dairy, meat, herbicide-treated plants, and anything with plastic in it.
And no matter which scraps you use, it’s important to add some “browns” (like dry leaves) to your “greens” (scraps). For the most part, you’ll want to aim for 2–3 parts of browns for every part of the greens.
2 Ways to Compost Your Scraps
Ready to start turning your compost into a garden booster? Check out these two options:
Bury Them
The simplest way to go here is to dig a hole in your backyard, toss the food scraps, and bury them with a layer of dirt. All that’s left is to wait until they’re all nice and decomposed.
Side Note: You’ll know that the compost is ready to go when it turns a rich, brown color with soil-like particles.
Get a Bin (Or Three)
Alternatively, you could throw your greens and browns in a bin and cover them with a layer of browns.
Every now and then, you’ll add enough moisture to keep the content as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Of course, you’ll also need to turn the pile to aerate it.
Some people choose to scale things up with a three-bin system. This way, they can have multiple batches at different stages of decomposition.
Here’s how the process goes:
- Fresh scraps and garden waste go into bin #1.
- When the heat peaks (130–150°F) in bin #1, you move most of the contents to bin #2 until it starts looking like compost (dark and soil-like).
- Bin #3 is where the compost goes to cure for 1–2 months.
3 Tips for First-Time Scrap Composters
Composting scraps and garden waste is simple, but it doesn’t hurt to have some insider tips and tricks.
Here are three tips that I wish I knew when I started composting:
1. Chop Your Scraps
The golden rule with compost is that tiny bits break down faster. So, why not use this in your favor?
Cut down your kitchen scraps into small pieces to speed things up.
2. Do the Smell Test
If everything goes according to plan, your compost pile shouldn’t stink.
Rotten odors might mean that you used too many greens or the compost is too wet. Try introducing more air and see if it helps control the smell.
3. Keep the Nuisances Away
Flies, raccoons, and rodents will try to get to their hands (or segmented hairy legs) on your compost.
Every now and then, I get unwanted guests. However, I notice things get worse when I get lazy with my composting and do the “dump and run” technique.
Yes, that’s when you leave the scraps exposed.
Instead, you’ll want to add the scraps to the middle of the pile, then cover them up with a layer of grass, leaves, soil, or wood chips.
Bin location is also an important factor. If there are any nearby food sources (pet food bowl, bird feeder, or a fruit tree), you’re pretty much inviting pesky creatures to come and dig at your compost pile.
If all else fails, rodent-proof your bin.
How to Use the Compost Around the Garden
Now that you know how to compost your food scraps, you’re ready to put the dark, crumbly material to good use.
Here’s what I like to do:
1. Work a Layer Into New Garden Beds
Before I plant something in a new bed, I work a decent-sized layer (think 4 inches or so) of compost into the soil. This is basically a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
2. Create a Custom Potting Mix
To start seedlings in rich, loose potting soil, I add a bit of sifted compost to my blends. I never use pure compost, though.
3. Mulch Around Stems
It’s also possible to use the compost as mulch.
Just loosen the top 2–3 inches of your soil and add a 3-inch layer of compost, making sure to leave some distance between the “mulch” and the stem/trunk.
4. Make a Compost Tea
Let me clarify one thing first.
The liquid that leaches from your backyard pile is NOT compost tea. It’s actually leachate, and you don’t want to use it in your garden.
Instead, you want to “extract” the nutrients by suspending the compost in a barrel of water for a while and then filtering it. That’s a great liquid fertilizer right there!
Final Thoughts
With a bit of shoveling and a whole lot of waiting, you can compost your food scraps to give your garden the nutrients it needs. In a while, your garden should give you veggies and fruits so you can keep the cycle going!

Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.