- 1). Collect vegetable scraps in a covered container. Purchase a home compost pail or recycle a food container such as a quart-size yogurt or cottage cheese container.
- 2). Store the container under your sink or on your kitchen counter. Avoid odors from building up by emptying the container every few days. Wash it thoroughly before using it again.
- 3). Empty the contents of the compost pail into a five-gallon food scrap bucket.
- 4). Add a trowel-sized scoop of "brown" material, such as dried leaves, twigs or shredded newspaper or cardboard, to the vegetable scraps in the bucket. Repeat with every addition to the bucket so that the vegetable scraps are covered with a layer of dry material. This cuts down on odors and hastens the composting process. This is known as adding "browns"--materials that are generally dry and produce carbon--to the "greens," which are often wet and produce nitrogen. Balancing these materials helps start the composting process.
- 5). Keep the food scrap bucket handy near your back door or compost bin. Leave the lid on to keep away insects or animals that would be attracted to the vegetable scraps.
- 6). Add the contents of the bucket when it is full to your compost bin and combine the material.
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