Balanced waste nutrition matters in composting

Balanced waste nutrition is a necessity for good composting outcome, in the same way a balanced diet is integral to healthy living. This is achieved with a suitable combination of organic waste.

Why does balanced waste matter?

A waste mixture is balanced for composting when its macronutrients, carbon and nitrogen, are in proportion. Striking the right balance ensures the most thorough and orderly conversion of waste into compost.

A large imbalance will disrupt the composting process. Not enough nitrogen means carbon is in excess and the consequence is longer composting time. An excess of nitrogen results in a loss of valuable nitrogen through bad outcomes such as foul smells and soldier fly infestations.

How to balance waste for composting?

Organic wastes are classified as either carbon or nitrogen types by convention. With garden waste, the best way to create a compost heap is with alternate layers of carbon and nitrogen types. The heap is balanced by ensuring the carbon layers are twice as thick as nitrogen layers.

A composite of everyday kitchen scraps is, surprisingly, generally balanced for composting. While the types can and do vary from day to day, we found in long-term Bioverter trials that the overall mix for a week is often nearly well balanced. Typically, a weekly carbon top up is all it takes to balance kitchen scraps for composting with Bioverter and get continuous conversion of waste.