How To Add New Material To Your Compost Bin

So you realise your compost bin has a good amount of space left, and you’ve got a pile of suitable wastes that you could add to it.

Or your family cooks often and you have a fresh batch of raw kitchen scraps you’d like to add to your partially-filled bin.

Here are two simple methods you can do so.

Method 1: Layering

1. Remove the top insulating layer (of newspapers, cardboard, or hay)
2. Add ‘greens’
3. Add the same amount of ‘browns’ as ‘greens’ from the previous step
4. Add compost starter (such as soil or used coffee grounds)
5. Sprinkle in some water
6. Mix the newly-added materials (from steps 2 to 5). Avoid mixing them with the old material in your bin.
7. Put back the top insulating layer (of newspapers, cardboard, or hay)
8. Ensure the outside of your bin is clean and dry
9. That’s it! Repeat this series of steps the next time you wish to add new material to your bin.

This method is useful if you don’t wish to mix the newly-added material with the old material in your bin.

It is less labor-intensive and you could start using the compost from the old material once it’s ready.

Method 2: Mixing

1. Remove the top insulating layer (of newspapers, cardboard, or hay)
2. Add ‘greens’
3. Add the same amount of ‘browns’ as ‘greens’ from the previous step
4. Add compost starter (such as soil or used coffee grounds)
5. Sprinkle in some water
6. Mix the newly-added material (from steps 2 to 5) with the old material in your bin
7. Put back the top insulating layer (of newspapers, cardboard, or hay)
8. Ensure the outside of your bin is clean and dry
9. That’s it! Repeat this series of steps the next time you wish to add new material to your bin.

This method is useful if you wish to use the old material in your bin as a compost starter for the newly-added material. (Note: The old material in your bin would have partially composted by now.)

This quickens the overall composting process in your bin, as the newly-added material would be covered by beneficial microorganisms that jump-start the composting process.

However, you would have to wait once again for your finished compost (from the old material) to be ready, since newly-added material has been mixed into it.

Don’t have a compost bin yet? Here is a quick, easy, and cheap way to make one.

Click here to find out how to harvest and use the compost from your bin.