Composting is an effective way to dispose of food waste, but it’s important to never add certain foo (Image: Getty)
Homemade is a nutrient-rich material made from decomposed organic materials like food scraps and leaves.
It’s a key component when it comes to organic and it can be used in a variety of different ways.
Knowing what is safe to throw in your compost bin can be confusing, but an expert has shared which foods to add and which ones not to.
Angela Slater, gardening expert at Hayes Garden World, said: “Disposing of your leftovers into a compost pile rather than your household bin reduces the amount of waste that will ultimately end up in landfills.
“In turn, this helps to minimise the levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Leftover food is also hugely beneficial for soil health, with composting encouraging the soil to hold water and nutrients for longer and improving many of its overall physical properties.
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“This event contributes towards higher crop yields, meaning that throwing your food waste into a compost heap could lead to a flourishing garden.
“Composting is equally a great way to combat the guilt we all feel when letting our food go to waste. Knowing that our leftovers can have a purpose beyond our dinner plates will make mealtimes much more enjoyable.”
There are several types of things gardeners should leave out of their compost pile if they want to have a successful fertiliser for their garden.
This includes items such as meat and fish as well as baked goods like cake, bread and biscuits.
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Gardening planner (Image: EXPRESS)
The gardening expert warned that these types of foods “only attract vermin” such as mice and rats in winter as they “breed bacteria and cause odour problems”.
Cooked foods should also “never” be added to compost as they also attract vermin and may go mouldy in the compost.
Angela also advised to never add dairy products like milk, sour cream, yoghurt, cheese and butter because pests will be attracted to it.
The same goes for oils and fats as well as processed foods which contain a lot of dairy and fat should also be left out.
Instead, foods which are great for the compost include fruits such as bananas. Angela said the peels add “valuable potassium” to the compost heap.
She explained: “Just chop into pieces prior to adding to the compost. Crushed eggshells are also valuable compost material as they inject calcium.”
Make sure to turn the compost regularly, perhaps once a month, to introduce air to the heap.
Remember to also keep the compost heap moist throughout the year, but be careful not to make it too wet.