Roughly a third of everything the average household throws away is organic matter that could have become free, rich fertiliser. Composting is the rare eco habit that rewards you directly: less bin smell, fewer collection bags, and dark crumbly compost your plants will love.

The only recipe you need: greens plus browns

Compost is made by billions of microbes, and like any workforce they need a balanced diet. Greens are fresh, nitrogen-rich materials; browns are dry, carbon-rich ones. Aim for roughly two to three parts browns to one part greens by volume.

• Greens: vegetable peelings, fruit scraps, coffee grounds, fresh grass clippings, old cut flowers.
• Browns: dry leaves, torn cardboard, egg boxes, shredded paper, small twigs, straw.
• Keep out: cooked food, meat, dairy, and oily leftovers in an open garden bin — they attract pests. (Sealed hot composters and bokashi systems can handle them.)

A month-by-month rhythm

Add material as it arises, covering each caddy of scraps with a layer of browns. Once a fortnight, turn the pile with a fork to let air in; oxygen is what keeps the process sweet-smelling. If the pile looks soggy, add cardboard. If it looks dusty and inactive, add greens and a splash of water. In warm months you can have usable compost in three to four months; a neglected pile still gets there in about a year.

No garden? You still have options

A sealed bokashi bucket ferments all food waste, including cooked leftovers, under the sink. A wormery fits on a balcony and produces both compost and a potent liquid feed. Many councils also collect food waste for industrial composting, which is a fine fallback.

Finished compost is the perfect head start for a wildlife-friendly plot — see our guide to native plant gardening to put it to work. And to shrink the packaging side of your bin as well, browse our ten plastic-free kitchen swaps.