Composting at home: a Cape Town how-to

Up to a third or more of a typical household's waste is organic — food scraps and garden trimmings. Buried in landfill, it rots without oxygen and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Composted at home, that same waste becomes free, nutrient-rich soil for your garden. Here's how to start composting in Cape Town.

Why compost?

• Divert waste. Organic matter is a huge share of what we throw away — composting keeps it out of landfill.
• Cut methane. Composting with oxygen avoids the methane that landfilled organics produce.
• Feed your garden. Compost is a free, rich soil improver that beats shop-bought fertiliser.
• Save water. Compost-rich soil holds moisture better — a real benefit in Cape Town's dry summers.
• Close the loop. Returning nutrients to the soil is the circular economy in your own backyard.

What you can compost

Greens (nitrogen-rich):

• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Coffee grounds and tea leaves
• Fresh grass clippings
• Plant trimmings

Browns (carbon-rich):

• Dry leaves
• Cardboard and paper (shredded)
• Twigs and small branches
• Straw and dry plant material

What to keep out

• Meat, fish and dairy (attract pests and smell)
• Cooked food and oily items
• Diseased plants and persistent weeds
• Pet waste from cats and dogs
• Anything non-organic

The golden ratio

Good compost needs a balance of browns and greens — roughly two to three parts brown to one part green by volume. Too many greens makes it slimy and smelly; too many browns makes it slow. Think "layered lasagne" of dry and fresh material.

Method 1: A simple compost heap or bin

The classic approach:

1. Choose a spot — a shady corner of the garden works well.
2. Start with browns — a layer of twigs or dry leaves for drainage and airflow.
3. Layer greens and browns as you add material.
4. Keep it moist — like a wrung-out sponge, not soggy.
5. Turn it every week or two to add oxygen and speed things up.
6. Harvest — in a few months you'll have dark, crumbly compost at the bottom.

Method 2: For small spaces

No garden? You still have options:

• Bokashi — a bench-top fermentation system that handles food scraps (even some cooked food) in a sealed bucket, ideal for flats.
• Worm farms (vermicomposting) — worms turn kitchen scraps into rich castings; compact and great for balconies.
• Container composting — a lidded bin on a patio.

Troubleshooting

• Smelly? Too wet or too many greens — add browns and turn it.
• Not breaking down? Too dry or too many browns — add greens and moisture.
• Pests? You've added meat, dairy or cooked food — keep these out and cover fresh scraps with browns.
• Too slow? Chop material smaller, turn more often, and keep the balance right.

Using your compost

Finished compost is dark, crumbly and earthy-smelling. Use it to:

• Enrich vegetable and flower beds
• Top-dress lawns
• Mix into pots and planters
• Improve sandy Cape soils' moisture retention

A small habit, a big impact

Composting is one of the most satisfying environmental habits: it shrinks your bin, cuts emissions, and gives you free, beautiful soil. With Cape Town's landfills under pressure and the Western Cape pushing to divert organics, every home that composts makes a real difference.

Start with a simple bin or a bokashi bucket this week. For more on diverting waste and recycling the rest, explore WasteGo Green's services.