One Year of Composting: What Have You Achieved?

5 days ago
3 min read

Twelve months ago, you started a habit that many overlook—you began composting. At first, it may have just felt like a small action: collecting peels and scraps instead of tossing them in the bin. But now, with a year behind you, it's time to pause and reflect on something powerful:

What have you actually achieved by composting for a year? The answer? More than you probably realise.

🌍 1. You Diverted Hundreds of Kilograms of Waste from Landfill

The average household produces 2–4 kg of food waste per week. Over a year, that’s 100 to 200 kg—and if you’ve been composting, that organic waste didn’t go to landfill.

✅ You reduced methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas

✅ You extended the life of your municipal landfill

✅ You saved your city the cost of transporting and processing that waste

💡 Your composting reduced the carbon footprint of your home more than cutting meat or ditching your car for a month.

🌿 2. You Made Black Gold—Compost That Grows Life

You didn’t just get rid of waste. You transformed it into value.

✅ Your food scraps became nutrient-rich vermicompost

✅ You fed your houseplants, garden, or veggie patch

✅ You built healthier soil, full of beneficial microbes and earthworms

💡 Soil made with compost holds more water, resists erosion, and produces more food—with fewer chemicals.

🌱 3. You Improved the Health of Your Plants and Garden

Even small compost additions can change a garden dramatically. Over the last year, you likely saw:

✅ Stronger plants with deeper roots

✅ Fewer pests and diseases

✅ Better yields in vegetables and herbs

💡 That little act of composting helped restore the natural balance in your soil—no synthetic fertilisers required.

🧠 4. You Became More Mindful of What You Waste

One of the surprising side effects of composting is awareness.

✅ You started thinking twice before overbuying food

✅ You found creative ways to use leftovers

✅ You became conscious of what you throw away—and why

💡 Composting is often the first step into a sustainable lifestyle—it opens the door to better habits across the board.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 5. You Set an Example Others Could Follow

Every time someone visited your home and asked, “What’s that little bin for?”—you planted a seed.

✅ Your children watched and learned

✅ Your neighbours and friends became curious

✅ You proved that composting is possible—even in small homes or busy lives

💡 Your example could be the reason someone else starts their composting journey next year.

💸 6. You Saved Money (Whether You Noticed It or Not)

✅ Fewer bin liners

✅ Less fertiliser bought at the store

✅ More homegrown food

✅ Fewer waste collection needs (especially if you downgraded your bin size)

💡 Composting helps your wallet as much as your garden.

🎉 7. You Took Meaningful Action in the Climate Crisis

Climate anxiety is real—and composting helps ease it with tangible action.

✅ You contributed to climate resilience by building carbon-rich soil

✅ You turned your waste into a climate solution

✅ You participated in the circular economy—where nothing is wasted

💡 When the world needs solutions, you’re not just talking—you’re doing.

🪴 A Year of Composting = A Year of Growth

Yes, your food scraps broke down—but something else grew:

🌱 Your soil

🌱 Your habits

🌱 Your connection to the Earth

🌱 Your belief that small actions matter

🌿 Let’s Keep It Going into the Next Year

At The Compost Kitchen, we’ve been honoured to walk this journey with you. Whether you used our collection service or composted at home, you’ve made a difference.

✅ Keep composting

✅ Invite someone to start

✅ Try growing something new with your compost

✅ Celebrate how far you’ve come

🎯 You’ve already done the hard part—starting. Now imagine what you can do in year two.