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Composting helps reduce food waste, improve soil health, and enhance environmental sustainability. And while converting food waste into fertilizer is celebrated for its array of benefits, many new composters are surprised to learn that it often feels like a slow, confusing process that takes longer than expected.
But it doesn’t have to be—knowing how to speed up composting is key to transforming organic waste into rich, usable compost more efficiently, saving time and maximizing your garden’s potential.
Keep reading to explore practical, science-backed tips that lead to faster composting, as well as common mistakes to avoid.
Key Takeaways
- Chopping, chipping, or shredding materials into smaller pieces before adding them to your compost pile increases the surface area on which microorganisms can feed, resulting in faster composting.
- If your pile is dry, try adding water as you turn it; if it’s soggy, mix in dry browns like shredded paper or leaves—and consider covering the pile during rain or dry spells to maintain balance.
- Without proper aeration, microbial activity slows down, as most decomposing microorganisms need oxygen to thrive—making the composting process slower.
- To keep oxygen circulating, add bulky materials like twigs, small branches, or cornstalks, which create natural air pockets and allow air to move freely through the pile.
Understanding the Process of Composting
Before we jump into our composting tips, let’s take a second to better understand the composting process. While you don’t need to be an expert to get started, having a basic grasp of how composting works can help you avoid common mistakes and speed things up.
That said, the composting process can be broken down into 5 stages:
- Mesophilic Phase: Mesophilic microorganisms begin breaking down materials and generating heat.
- Thermophilic Phase: Thermophiles (microorganisms that thrive in high temperatures) start breaking down more complex materials.
- Cooling Phase: The pile cools as decomposition slows, and mesophiles continue breaking down tougher materials like cellulose and lignin.
- Maturation: The compost stabilizes as microbial activity slows, and remaining materials are further broken down.
- Curing: The compost rests and finishes aging, ensuring it’s safe, mature, and ready for use.
Now that we have a better understanding of how this process works, we can explore the composting techniques that accelerate this process.
10 Practical Tips to Speed Up Composting
If you’re looking for composting tips for compost bins, you’ve come to the right place. Check out these 10 tips to help you better understand how to speed up composting.
1. Chop/Shred Stuff Smaller
Chopping, chipping, or shredding materials into smaller pieces before adding them to your compost pile increases the surface area on which microorganisms can feed, resulting in faster composting. NRDC recommends that a good rule to follow is not to include anything thicker than a finger.
However, not every piece of organic waste needs to be finely chopped—a mix of small and large particles insulates the pile while allowing airflow and moisture, creating the ideal composting structure.
2. Freeze Your Food Scraps to Burst the Cell Walls
Freezing your waste helps break down cell walls in organic matter, which can speed up decomposition when you add it to your compost. As a bonus, freezing waste also helps reduce odors, making composting more pleasant—you can thank us later.
It’s simple: all you have to do is collect your waste and place it in a freezer-safe bin before adding it to your compost pile.
3. Hot Composting: Berkeley Method
The Berkeley compost method is a precise procedure that uses four key compost accelerators to create compost in a matter of weeks, rather than the usual months. Here’s what you need to do to accomplish the Berkeley method:
- Shred materials into ½–1½ inch pieces.
- Use a 30:1 carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of greens and browns.
- Aim for a moisture level of 50% while building the pile.
- Build a 3’x3’x3’+ pile.
4. Use the Bokashi Fermentation Composting Method
Bokashi is a type of fermented composting done on a small scale in a sealed container. Unlike traditional methods, it’s anaerobic meaning the food breaks down without oxygen.
This process is known for being faster, producing less odor, and requiring less maintenance than other composting methods. It works by adding food scraps to the container along with Bokashi bran—an additive that ferments the waste rather than rotting it.
Once full, the container is sealed for about two weeks, after which the pre-compost can be buried or added to a traditional compost pile to finish breaking down.
5. Maintain the Right Moisture – Keep the Pile Moist but Not Wet
Did you know that if your pile is too dry, the activity in the pile can slow or stop?
On the contrary, a pile that’s too wet can lead to anaerobic conditions, leading to bad odors and slower decomposition. All things considered, a critical garden composting tip is to keep your pile moist but not soggy. According to the EPA, your compost pile should have the consistency of a wrung-out sponge.
If your pile is dry, try adding water as you turn it; if it’s soggy, mix in dry browns like shredded paper or leaves—and consider covering the pile during rain or dry spells to maintain balance.
6. Use a Compost Accelerator or Activator
Compost activators are substances used to start the decomposition process. For anyone wondering how to accelerate composting, additives are a great starting point, as they introduce beneficial microorganisms that help maintain a healthy balance in your pile.
While you can purchase commercial activators, there are also natural alternatives such as high-nitrogen plants, manure, coffee grounds, and more. While different types of activators may have specific instructions, the general approach is simple: sprinkle or layer the activator evenly throughout the pile as you add new materials.
7. Turn Your Compost Pile Often
Without proper aeration, microbial activity slows down, as most decomposing microorganisms need oxygen to thrive. In other words, it makes the composting process slower.
So you may be wondering: How often should I turn my compost pile?
The frequency depends on factors like layer thickness, material size, composition, and the type of composting structure used. That said, a good rule of thumb is to turn your pile every 3 to 4 days.
8. Create Air Pockets in Your Compost
To keep oxygen circulating, it’s helpful to create natural air pockets by adding bulky materials like twigs, small branches, or cornstalks. These coarse items create spaces between layers, allowing air to move more freely through the pile.
For even better aeration, you can insert perforated PVC pipes vertically or horizontally into the pile to help oxygen reach deeper layers and prevent compaction.
9. Vermicomposting – Great for Indoors, Small Spaces, or Winter
Vermicomposting—an approach that uses red worms to break down waste—is another way to compost food waste. It’s ideal for indoor or small spaces, as it requires minimal equipment, produces little to no odor, and creates nutrient-rich worm castings that can be used as a powerful natural fertilizer.
All you have to do is set up a bin, add worms, and feed them your food scraps. Plus, because it’s done indoors, vermicomposting is one of the most effective winter composting tips for keeping your efforts going year-round.
10. Choose the Right Composting System for the Right Situation
The image below demonstrates which systems are best suited for different environments and scenarios.
| Composting Method | Best For |
|---|---|
| Compost Tumblers | Small yards, faster composting, good for beginners |
| Compost Bins | Medium to large yards, moderate maintenance |
| Compost Piles | Large backyards, high volume of waste |
| Vermicomposting | Small apartments, indoor use, works well year-round |
| Bokashi System | Indoor or limited space, fast fermentation |
What Affects Composting Speed?
If you want to promote fast composting, then you should be aware of the factors that influence how quickly materials break down:
- Temperature: Hot composting speeds up decomposition and kills pathogens, while cold composting is slower and requires less upkeep. In the next section, we’ll take a closer look at the differences between these techniques.
- Microbial activity: The quality of compost is closely related to the diversity and quantity of microorganisms. Changes in these microorganisms directly influence compost properties—such as temperature, pH, and humic acid content—which in turn affect how quickly organic matter breaks down.
- C:N ratio (carbon to nitrogen): According to ScienceDirect, “Maintaining appropriate C/N ratios is crucial for sustaining active microbial activity, as lower ratios can lead to nitrogen losses, while higher ratios may slow down composting reactions.”
- Moisture and oxygen levels: Compost needs the right balance of moisture and airflow for microbes to stay active. Too much water or not enough oxygen can slow decomposition and cause unpleasant odors.
- Aeration within the compost pile: Regularly turning or loosening the compost introduces oxygen, which fuels microbial activity and speeds up decomposition. Without proper aeration, the pile can become compacted, leading to slower breakdown and unpleasant smells.
- Type of materials: Different types of organic matter break down at different rates. Soft food scraps decompose quickly due to higher moisture and nutrients, while woody waste breaks down more slowly and often benefits from shredding.
Cold vs. Hot Composting: What’s the Difference?
Hot composting: Hot composting is a process of rapid decomposition that takes place at high temperatures, allowing larger amounts of compost to be produced faster. By maintaining internal temperatures between 130°F and 160°F, microbial activity is accelerated, breaking down materials more efficiently.
Cold composting: Cold composting is the natural breakdown of materials over time without generating significant heat. Considered the simplest form of composting, it requires minimal effort and maintenance, as materials are added to the pile and left to decompose at their own pace. This slower process can take several months to over a year to produce finished compost, depending on the materials and conditions.
Oregon State University comments on these approaches, stating that “Hot composting requires a precise recipe of ingredients and a considerable amount of attention and management to temperature, moisture level, aeration, particle size and more. Slow composting, on the other hand, is pretty much carefree. Simply mix your yard trimmings into a pile, add fruit and vegetable scraps if you wish, and wait.”
5 Common Mistakes That Slow Down Composting
As part of our composting tips, we’re going to share common mistakes people make in food waste recycling that affect how quickly their compost pile breaks down.
- Adding only greens or only browns: Using too many greens (food scraps, grass clippings) or too many browns (dry leaves, wood chips) throws off the carbon-to-nitrogen balance. This imbalance can lead to foul odors, slow decomposition, or a pile that fails to heat up properly.
- Neglecting to turn the pile: Failing to turn the compost prevents oxygen from circulating, which slows microbial activity and can cause the pile to compact. Over time, this can lead to uneven decomposition.
- Overwatering or drying it out: Too much water can drown out oxygen and create foul odors, while too little moisture can impact microbial activity. Keeping the pile damp, like a wrung-out sponge, helps maintain steady decomposition.
- Adding non-compostable materials: Items like meat, dairy, oils, or heavily processed foods can attract pests, produce odors, and disrupt the composting process. While moldy food in compost can be beneficial, it may slow the process or introduce unwanted types of molds.
- Treating commercial composting like home composting: Home composting relies on simple methods like layering, turning, and moisture checks, while composting for businesses often incorporates food waste technology for precise temperature control and aeration. Confusing these approaches can create unrealistic expectations.
What NOT to Add to Your Compost
Not everything belongs in your compost pile. Certain materials can attract pests, create bad odors, or slow down the decomposition process. That said, here are some items you should avoid:
- Meat, bones, and dairy/animal by-products: These can smell, attract rodents, and introduce harmful bacteria. While upcycling animal by-products is possible in specialized systems, they shouldn’t be added to basic home compost piles.
- Greasy or oily foods: Oils coat materials and limit airflow, making it harder for microbes to do their job. For safer options, explore proper disposal of cooking grease instead of adding it to compost.
- Treated wood or glossy paper: Chemicals and coatings can contaminate your compost and harm your plants later. It’s best to dispose of these materials through appropriate waste channels instead of adding them to your compost pile.
Conclusion
Composting food scraps is one of the easiest ways to reduce food waste and nourish your soil, but for many beginners, the process can feel slow and even a little confusing.
Understanding how to speed up composting—from balancing greens and browns to knowing the difference between aerobic and anaerobic composting—can turn a slow process into quick, nutrient-rich results.
For bigger projects or commercial food waste recycling solutions, our team at Shapiro can help you manage waste efficiently and sustainably—all while ensuring compliance and supporting your environmental goals.
Contact us today to learn more about our organic waste management solutions.
Baily Ramsey, an accomplished marketing specialist, brings a unique blend of anthropological insight and marketing finesse to the digital landscape. Specializing in educational content creation, she creates content for various industries, with a particular interest in environmental initiatives.
