Composting is one of the best ways to get rid of much of your kitchen and garden waste.  It is much better than sending it all with your general waste for incineration or, even worse, landfill.  You also benefit from the resulting product, rich and nutritious soil enhancer that can replace garden fertilisers.  Essentially the organic materials you compost are decomposed by micro organisms, worms and insects producing an earthy humus, rich in essential elements such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphates.

To get the best humus it is important to provide the right environment in your compost heap and to get the right mix of ingredients.  Almost any organic material is suitable for composting.  Ideally input materials should have the right mix of carbon-rich materials, or "browns," and nitrogen-rich materials, or "greens." Among the brown materials are dried leaves, straw, and wood chips. Nitrogen materials are fresh or green, such as grass cuttings and kitchen waste.  The mix also affects the rate of composting with brown materials breaking down slower than green materials but you need more brown than green to create a good textured humus and avoid unpleasant smells.

For example grass cuttings will break down quickly and contain as much nitrogen as manure.   However, fresh grass clippings will clump together become anaerobic and start to smell so need to be mixed with plenty of brown material.  If you have a lot of grass clippings to compost and the weather is hot you can spread them out on a hard surface to dry in the sun. Once the cuttings turn pale or straw-like they can be used without risk of clumping.

Kitchen waste can include potato peelings, carrot peelings, tea bags, apple cores, banana etc.  You can successfully compost all forms of vegetable kitchen waste.  Egg shells are also a good addition but, as they decompose slowly, they should preferably be crushed.  Meat, meat products, fish, dairy products, and high-fat foods like salad dressings and oils, can present problems.  They will decompose eventually, but can cause bad smells and attract pests.  If you want to compost these materials you should use a more controlled ‘hot composter’ bin such as the Green Johanna with tight fitting sides and a base to exclude pests.

Wood ash can be added to the compost heap but, as they are alkaline you should add them only in small proportions.  Don't use coal ash as it usually contains large amounts of sulphur and iron that can be detrimental to your plants.  It is also best not to use ash from barbecue charcoal briquettes.

Garden refuse is the second mainstay of your compostable material.  All dead plant material and cuttings can be included.  Most weeds and weed seeds are killed when the pile reaches an internal temperature above 130 degrees, but some may survive. To avoid problems it may be better not to compost weeds with persistent root systems and those that are going to seed.

Hay or straw makes an excellent ‘brown’ base for your compost heap, especially if leaves are available in limited supply.   You can also add rotted manure from vegetarian animals and birds but you should generally avoid manure from carnivores.  Well rotted manure is better as fresh manure may be too strong, as it could kill beneficial bacteria.

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