Composting begins with household waste

I am a big fan of compost. I believe it’s the single best soil amendment you can add to any lawn or garden.

I’m also an efficiency nut. I’m always looking for the most productive way to complete any task.

So it’s only natural that I find one of the best ways to clean up the kitchen while making deposits into my compost bank is to gather all those food scraps from salads, vegetables and fruit. So much from the kitchen and even other parts of the house are perfect ingredients for making great compost, especially in winter when there’s not much else to add.

Besides making great soil right at home, I try to do my part to reduce the pressure on our community landfill. I’ve indoctrinated my family into this composting-recycling obsessive world in which I live.

I may have gone too far with it. Now I have them afraid to throw anything away.

My fervor has resulted in a plethora of recyclables at my house. The best part is anything that can be composted is composted.

As part of our system, we now have a dedicated cabinet in the kitchen that houses two bins. One is for the daily compost; the other’s for recyclables.

As you collect daily scraps, you may be surprised to find how much can be composted. From inside the house, just about anything that once came from a living source can be composted. From the kitchen, add all fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and filters, paper towels and the roll, napkins, oatmeal, banana peels, eggshells and tea bags. You’ll find more items.

From around the house, vacuum cleaner bags and contents, dryer lint, cardboard rolls, clean paper (shredded is best), newspaper, cotton and wool rags, hair and fur and houseplants.

As with everything in life, there are exceptions to the rule, including household compost. First, don’t add meat products, bones, fats, grease, oils or dairy products. They create odors that can attract pests such as rodents and flies.

And don’t compost pet waste. These can contain parasites, bacteria, pathogens and viruses that are dangerous to humans.

Joe Lamp’l is the host and executive producer of “Growing a Greener World” on national public television, and the founder of The joe gardener Company.