Tons of food are discarded every year and end up in landfills—despite much of it being able to be used for something else. One of the simplest methods that Texans can combat food waste at home is by composting. By taking the peels of fruits, scraps of vegetables, and even used coffee grounds and transforming them into nutrient-rich soil, you’re saving the environment, as well as helping your garden.

Why Does Food Waste Matter?

When we toss food in the garbage, it doesn’t magically disappear. In landfills, food biodegrades slowly, releasing methane—a potent greenhouse pollutant. Actually, food waste constitutes a gigantic portion of what we throw away daily.

Rather than discarding leftovers and scraps as trash, compost takes them and finds a new use for them. It converts waste into something beneficial that can improve plants growing and soil health.

What Is Composting?

Composting is a natural process by which aged foodstuffs, yard trimmings, and other organic matter are transformed into dark, crumbly compost. Nutrient-rich, the compost can be blended with your own garden soil to enable plants to grow vigorously.

How to Start Home Composting in Texas

You don’t need a complicated system in order to compost—just a small area, a little work, and the right blend of items.

1. Pick Your Spot:

Select a dry, shaded area in your garden, close to a water supply if you can.

2. Know What to Add:

• Greens (food waste): vegetable and fruit leftovers, tea bags, coffee grounds, grass clippings from fresh cut grass

• Browns (yard waste): dry leaf litter, paper, cardboard, sawdust, wood chips

3. Avoid Adding:

• Meat, bones, milk, or oily foods

• Pet waste

• Plastics (even biodegradable)

• Diseased plants or weeds that can infect

4. Layer and Mix:

Layer your greens and browns. Leave the pile moist as a wet sponge, turning every so often to allow air to get through.

How Composting Minimizes Food Loss

Rather than discarding banana peels, apple cores, or vegetable ends, composting provides a means to recycle them into something useful. This prevents food from ending up in landfills, lessening pollution, and saving you money on soil and fertilizer.

How to Know It’s Ready

Compost is finished when it’s dark, crumbly soil and has the rich earthy odor. The original scraps aren’t visible anymore. It may take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on the climate and how much you turn it.

Texas Composting Resource

Visit this website:

https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/asset-external/easy-gardening-composting/

Composting is one of the easiest methods for doing something about food waste—right in your own backyard. Give your leftovers a new life and keep Texas cleaner and greener!