Want to reduce waste while enriching your garden? Home composting is the perfect solution! Since January 2024, composting organic waste has become obligatory for all households in France. A simple, eco-friendly, and effective gesture, considering that organic waste makes up between 40% and 60% of our household rubbish. Ready to start but unsure where to begin? Which composter to choose? What waste to compost? How to maintain your compost properly? In this tutorial, discover how to make your first homemade compost in 5 simple steps, along with all the tips for creating rich, balanced compost.

What is composting?

Compost is the result of composting, the natural decomposition of organic materials like peelings, dead leaves, or grass clippings. Under the action of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) and small soil creatures (earthworms, insects), this waste transforms into a dark, crumbly, nutrient-rich material. It’s called "gardener’s black gold" because it improves soil quality, promotes plant growth, and helps retain moisture.

Which composter should you choose?

The choice of composter depends on the space you have and your lifestyle. If you have a garden, opt for a traditional composter, preferably made of untreated wood or plastic, with a capacity suited to your household size. You can also choose to compost in a pile directly on the ground, which facilitates interaction with microorganisms in the soil. If you live in an apartment, a worm composter (or vermicomposter) is ideal: compact, odourless, it uses worms to speed up decomposition. There are also balcony composters or mini-composters, like the Bokashi composter, specially designed for small spaces.

Which type of composter to choose
Traditional wooden composter, worm composter, and Bokashi composter

What to put in the compost?

Wondering which waste to compost for good compost? Successful compost relies on a good mix of organic waste. Here’s a list of materials you can safely add to your compost and those to avoid:

Compostable waste:

♻️Green materials (rich in nitrogen):

Kitchen waste

  • Vegetable and fruit peelings (even citrus trees cut into small pieces)
  • Crushed eggshells
  • Food scraps (excluding meat, bones, fish)
  • Cheese rinds
  • Coffee grounds and tea bags (without staples)

Garden waste

  • Cut or wilted flowers
  • Weeds (without seeds)
  • Leaves
  • Grass clippings in small amounts
  • Shredded branches
  • Bark, straw, wood chips

♻️Brown materials (rich in carbon):

  • Dead leaves
  • Unprinted brown cardboard (torn into small pieces)
  • Unbleached paper (newspaper, chemical-free kitchen towels, tissue paper)
  • Wood chips, untreated sawdust
  • Shredded branches, twigs

Waste to limit, avoid, or exclude:

  • For healthy and efficient compost, avoid waste that can cause bad odours, attract pests, or disrupt decomposition. This includes meat, fish, shellfish, as well as greasy food scraps. Bread/pastries should also be limited, as they slow down the process or attract unwanted visitors. Also avoid: weeds with seeds, which may germinate, and diseased plants.
  • Some waste is toxic or non-biodegradable: chemical products, plastics, metals, nappies, or non-vegetable animal litter. In short: if it’s not natural and easily degradable, it’s best to leave it out! To be sure you’re not making a mistake, check out our guide Organic waste: what can you compost?
How to succeed with composting

How to make your first compost: 5 steps

Required materials

  • A composter (wooden or plastic bin, or a simple outdoor pile)
  • A fork or compost aerator (for regular turning)
  • A bucket (to easily collect organic waste before adding it to the compost)
  • Gardening gloves (handy for handling materials)

1. Choose the right location

Place your composter in a corner of your garden, preferably in the shade or partial shade to prevent it from drying out too quickly in summer. The composter should be easily accessible, neither too far nor too close to the house. The goal is to make composting practical and enjoyable, not a daily chore!

2. Prepare the right waste

The secret to successful compost is the balance between "green" and "brown" materials. Aim for 2/3 "brown" to 1/3 "green". Green materials are rich in nitrogen (fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, grass clippings), while brown materials provide carbon (dead leaves, unprinted cardboard, twigs). To facilitate decomposition and speed up the composting process, it’s best to cut or shred waste into small pieces before adding it to the compost.

The secret? Alternate layers of green and brown materials to promote harmonious decomposition. Too many green materials make the compost wet and smelly, while too many brown materials make it too dry and slow the process. Balance is the key to compost!

Composting vegetable peelings
Kitchen waste (fruit and vegetable peelings) is rich in nitrogen—balance it with carbon from dead leaves, twigs, etc.

3. Aerate regularly

Compost needs oxygen to decompose properly. Without aeration, it risks rotting, emitting bad odours, and slowing its transformation. If left too compact, it will suffocate and produce unpleasant smells.

  • Turn it regularly with a fork or aerator, about every 2 to 3 weeks to ensure good aeration.
  • Add coarse materials like small branches to improve air circulation and prevent compaction.
  • Well-aerated compost smells like a forest floor… not a forgotten bin.
Aerating the compost
Turn the compost regularly

4. Monitor moisture

Compost that’s too wet can rot and smell bad, while dry compost will slow its transformation. The ideal texture? Like a wrung-out sponge. Adjust moisture by adding wet or dry waste as needed.

  • Too dry? Add wet materials (peelings, fruit scraps) or a little water.
  • Too wet? Mix in dry materials (cardboard, dead leaves) and aerate more.
Watering compost
If the compost is too dry, add green organic materials (fruit and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, etc.) or water lightly

5. Wait and harvest your compost

Composting takes time: between 4 and 6 months, depending on temperature and moisture. Ready compost smells like a forest floor and has a crumbly texture. Use it to enrich your vegetable garden, plants, or garden.
How do you know if your compost is ready?

  • Appearance: dark, fine, and homogeneous material.
  • Smell: a pleasant forest-like scent.
  • Texture: crumbly, with no recognisable original waste.

All that’s left is to use it to enrich the soil for your plants, flower pots, or vegetable garden!

The recipe for successful compost: key points

  • Choose the composting solution best suited to your space and needs (garden, balcony, indoors).
  • Sort your organic waste correctly.
  • Follow the three golden rules of composting: mix green and brown materials, aerate, monitor… and harvest your black gold!

Also check out our tips for successful garden composting, as well as for using a worm composter.