Food waste is a huge problem worldwide, inspiring many people to turn to home composting. There are still a lot of questions surrounding safe compostable materials, though, especially for those new to composting. Can you compost chicken bones, and what about meat scraps from tonight’s dinner? We’ll answer all your questions in this comprehensive compost guide.
Composting might seem frustrating for those who generate a lot of meat bones and organic meat waste. Many compost enthusiasts say that meat products have no place in the compost bin and that composting bones is ineffective and possibly dangerous for an existing compost pile.
While there are many factors to consider, one of the biggest is sterilization. Generally speaking, the average DIY compost pile can’t generate the heat needed to break down and eradicate pathogens. However, we have some excellent tips to make cow and chicken fertilizer by incorporating bones into garden compost.
Your Guide to Composting Chicken Bones
Can you compost chicken bones? Organics recycling is more important than ever. Learn how you can compost meat to recycle the leftovers from delicious bone broth into a beneficial soil amendment for your yard and garden.
Can You Compost Chicken Bones?
Can chicken bones be composted? It depends on who you ask. There are many easy ways to compost tomatoes and other fruits and veggies, but chicken bones and meat products are somewhat divisive in the DIY compost world. Many amateur gardeners maintain that chicken bones carry disease and the rancid smell attracts pests.
Most compost how-to information instructs the novice composter to stick to safe materials like vegetarian food scraps, food soiled paper, yard waste, and the occasional egg shell. There is still room for experimentation with meat scraps.
Notable biologists and horticulturalists have experimented with composting meat and animal bones safely. For example, Michigan biologist Mary Appelhof experimented extensively with meat scraps and found several crucial steps to follow for safe and successful finished compost; we’ll cover them for you here.
What to Watch for When Composting Meat Scraps
Before you try your hand at composting chicken bones, a few precautionary steps will help when you use kitchen scraps for making compost. Unfortunately, you can’t just toss your chicken or fish bones on top of the other organic material in your compost pile and hope for the best.
First, remove all the meat to save yourself from chasing every pest neighborhood away from your compost. Large animal bones may take years to compost, so breaking them up is essential. Wash your hands and kitchen surfaces after you handle and put chicken bones in compost for hygienic purposes.
Check Out the Bokashi Bin for Composting Bones
Let’s talk about how to compost chicken bones in a unique, closed system like the bokashi bin. This composting system thrives on everything you’re not supposed to add to a traditional hot compost pile. Material like pasta, cheese, meat, and bones can go in the composting bin to eventually create a nutrient rich fertilizer.
The bokashi bin system uses fermentation rather than oxygen to compost bones and other organic matter into a nutrient-rich liquid called “bokashi tea.” The fermentation process takes care of the pungent odors associated with composting meat, plus there’s no compostable bag. Skip the plastic bag, put the waste right into the tub, and seal it.
How to Compost Chicken Bones
Are chicken bones good for compost? They can be if you process them correctly. Discover how to compost chicken bones by turning them into a super-healthy bone meal additive.
Scrape all the meat off the bones. Lay them out on a baking sheet and blast them with heat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes; sterilization is critical when dealing with animal bones and meat scraps.
Put your goggles on, find a safe surface, carefully smash the bones into smaller pieces, then grind them into a coarse powder. To make things a little easier, save the bones in a freezer bag, and repeat the process monthly.
Successful hot compost needs one part green waste like vegetable scraps to three parts brown material like a yard trimming pile, a paper bag supply, paper towel, or cardboard box. Strike the right carbon-nitrogen balance, and your compost becomes black gold.
Proper handling of solid waste and waste management is a pressing issue; you can make a difference in your neighborhood. Can you compost chicken bones? We hope you now have the answers to make informed compost-related decisions.
Composting turns food waste into finished compost to recycle it back into the soil. Compost is essentially a natural resource, and many green cart programs accept meat waste, including pork bones, beef bones, and chicken bones; check your local green cart website for information about what they take.
For something more convenient, try a closed-system fermentation bin like the Bokashi or invest in an electric countertop composter to turn food waste into finished compost in the blink of an eye. Exercise safety when handling meat products and introducing animal bones into your yard and compost pile.
Can you compost chicken bones? If this article helped you decide whether to incorporate meat scraps into your compost, share it with friends on Pinterest or Facebook who love a good compost tip.