The Financial Benefits of Composting: How It Saves You Money

When people think of composting, they usually focus on the environmental benefits: reducing landfill waste, cutting emissions, and enriching soil. But did you know composting can also have a real impact on your wallet?

From lower household expenses to saving on fertilisers, composting is one of the smartest ways to go green without spending a cent—and in fact, it often pays for itself. Here’s how composting can save you money in 2026 and beyond.

💰 1. Less Waste = Smaller Bin Sizes and Fewer Trash Bags

When you start composting, your general waste bin fills up slower—because most of your kitchen scraps are now going into your compost system instead of the rubbish.

✅ You use fewer black bags each week

✅ You can downgrade to a smaller wheelie bin if your city charges by size or volume

✅ You take out the trash less often, saving time and effort

💡 Quick calculation: If you reduce one bin bag per week, that’s over 50 fewer bags a year—saving money and reducing plastic use.

🧴 2. Free, Natural Fertiliser for Your Garden or Pot Plants

Store-bought fertilisers, compost mixes, and soil enhancers can cost hundreds of rands per season. But when you compost, you produce your own nutrient-rich fertiliser for free.

✅ No need to buy compost bags or chemical fertilisers

✅ Healthier soil = healthier plants = higher garden yields

✅ Compost improves moisture retention, saving on water too

💡 If you’re growing vegetables or herbs, you’ll also save on groceries!

🌿 3. Better Plant Health = Lower Gardening Costs

Compost improves your soil’s structure and boosts microbial life, which means:

✅ Plants grow stronger and need less pest control

✅ They’re more resilient, so you replace fewer dead plants

✅ You avoid the hidden cost of garden trial-and-error by building a strong soil foundation

💡 Compost acts as both a soil conditioner and a fertiliser, replacing multiple garden products in one go.

🛒 4. Composting Encourages Smarter Shopping

When you start composting, you become more aware of what you're wasting. That awareness often leads to:

✅ Buying only what you need

✅ Cooking smarter and using leftovers

✅ Spending less on food that ends up in the bin

💡 According to global studies, the average household throws away 30% of the food they buy. Composting helps you notice those patterns—and change them.

🌱 5. Grow Your Own Food—Even in Small Spaces

Compost makes it easy to start a low-maintenance veggie garden, even in pots or containers. Homegrown food means:

✅ Less spending on herbs, salad greens, and vegetables

✅ Fresher, healthier meals at no extra cost

✅ A new hobby that saves money and brings satisfaction

💡 Start small: A single spinach plant grown in compost can produce weeks of harvests and easily save you R50 or more.

🧠 6. Less Guilt Spending, More Mindful Living

This one’s hard to quantify, but it matters. When you compost, you’re more intentional with your habits—and less likely to spend impulsively on disposable items or unnecessary packaging.

✅ You become a more mindful shopper

✅ You stop wasting money on throwaway culture

✅ You feel good about the way you live—and that’s priceless

♻️ Bonus: Use Compost as a Community Asset

If you produce more compost than you need, you can:

✅ Share it with neighbours or friends

✅ Use it in a community garden

✅ Swap it for seedlings, cuttings, or produce

💡 Some composters even sell extra compost—turning food waste into a small income stream!

🧾 Composting Pays Off—Quickly and Naturally

Benefit	Yearly Savings (Est.)
Fewer bin bags	R250 – R500
Less chemical fertiliser	R200 – R800
Reduced food waste	R1,000 – R3,000
Lower garden costs	R300 – R1,000
Homegrown produce	R500 – R2,000+
Estimated total saved	R2,250 – R7,300

(Actual savings vary by household size and habits—but every rand saved adds up!)

💚 Composting Is an Investment in Your Home, Garden & Budget

Whether you live in a small flat or a large home, composting can help you save money, reduce waste, and grow more with less. It’s a habit that gives back in every way—environmentally, emotionally, and financially.

🌿 Let The Compost Kitchen Help You Save Without the Hassle

Want to compost without managing a pile or worms? The Compost Kitchen collects your food scraps and turns them into premium vermicompost—so you enjoy all the savings, without the mess.

✅ Weekly collection

✅ Clean, easy, affordable

✅ Compost delivered back to you, if you need it

🎯 Join The Compost Kitchen today and discover how much you can save by composting in 2026.