Experts Say You’re Probably Making These 5 Common Compost Mistakes

Fruits, vegetables and... hair? Find out what you should and shouldn't be composting.

Composting has been around since the beginning of time, but the climate crisis has driven up interest in turning waste into fertilizer in recent decades. While some people do their own composting, others take advantage of weekly compost pickups provided by their cities or towns, or visit bins at their local farmers market to drop off their compostable waste.

Composting reduces waste and lowers greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 50%, making it an important action step in the fight against climate change. Unfortunately, composting can be incredibly confusing for beginners. What can you compost, and what can’t you compost? Does “biodegradable” mean compostable? What kind of bin do you need? If you’re not doing it right, you could be wasting a lot of time and energy without even making a positive impact.