Bread is a staple for many Americans, and it’s often difficult to figure out what you can do with the end pieces or old leftovers. So, can bread go in compost?
Composting organic matter can be a great idea in most situations. It allows you to make the most out of leftovers or things you don’t need anymore.
Since finished compost is valuable for healthy garden soil, you do want to create natural compost on your own if you can. However, it will take a little bit of time to figure out what to add to your compost pile. So you have to wonder, is it a good idea to add bread to compost? Let’s find out.
Can I Compost Bread?
In general, yes, you can compost bread, but you’ll need to keep a few things in mind. Many people recommend not composting bread because it can easily attract pests and other unwanted animals and insects.
There are certain circumstances under which you shouldn’t compost bread and others in which it would be perfectly fine.
If you’re planning on composting old stale or moldy bread, then, by all means, put those crusts into your bin – they’ll turn into black soil for growing plants!
If you’re looking at using other food scraps (which we recommend), try to stay away from using baked goods. The mixture of these two items will have too high of a nitrogenous content for good decomposition.
One of the advantages of composting bread is that it will end up decomposing pretty fast. If you expose it to moisture, then the decomposition process speeds up by quite a bit. Quick decomposition is good because you can get some fantastic results and plenty of value in a short amount of time.
Tips for Composting Bread
Here are a few tips for composting your bread effectively.
- Never place too much bread in your compost at once. Moderation is always best when it comes to your compost pile.
- Only compost moldy bread or stale bread. If it’s fresh bread, it’s more likely to give you some trouble.
- Diversity is key. Make sure you mix your bread with other green materials. Bread will work well with other kitchen scraps (like fruits and veggies) or grass clippings as it can absorb some of their moisture.
- We recommend not composting bread dough – it isn’t suitable because of its sticky consistency.
- Break the bread into small pieces. As with anything you’re looking to compost, smaller is better. This helps your heap speed up the composting process.
- Make sure you have the proper balance of carbon and nitrogen. Bread is high and nitrogen content, so you’ll want to make sure you add sufficient carbon materials to maintain your compost balance. Good sources of carbon include items like shredded paper, hay, and leaves.
- Use a tight-fitting lid for your compost bin. As mentioned previously, the smell of the bread scraps will attract unwanted pests and animals. Keeping a tight lid on things will prevent them from getting access.
- Use chicken wire-fencing, if necessary. If those pests are getting too close, try using some fencing to keep them away.
- Try to place your bread in the center of the compost pile or at least cover the bread. Most of the heat will be generated in the center, which helps speed up the decomposition. It will also make it harder for pests to smell or reach it.
Other Common Questions
How Long Does Bread Take to Decompose?
Bread will decompose relatively quickly, in about two to three weeks, under the proper conditions. These times can vary based on the conditions of your compost and the type and amount of bread you’re composting.
Adding large loads of denser bread (e.g., sourdough) can take a little longer than your standard white bread.
Is Bread A Brown Or Green Compost?
Bread is generally considered a “green” compost material. This is mainly because the bread provides a high nitrogen content as other green compost materials do. Bread and food scraps are considered green compost materials.
Conclusion: Can Bread Go In Compost?
So, can bread be composted? Yes – bread can be composted. Composting bread is a good idea if you’re comfortable with the composting process.
Some types of bread are not suitable, but most of them are. It’s all a matter of experimenting and making sure that you find the proper bread to suit your compost needs.
As we mentioned above, preparing the right bin with a lid can help prevent any possible pests from coming to your compost pile. Use all these tips and ideas, and you should have no problem adding bread and other food waste to the compost pile.