Stumbling into Sustainability: Winter Composting: “You Can Do That?”

Until embarrassingly recently, I had no clue that composting was even possible in the winter—especially in a cold, snowy, icy climate like mine. When you think of composting, don’t you imagine a warm, sunny backyard with a towering pile of veggie scraps, garden clippings, and happy worms and bugs doing their thing? But, I’m currently over here slipping on ice, thinking, “Compost in this?” 

Apparently, winter composting (like any-other-time-of-year composting) is a fantastic way to reduce waste, enrich your soil, and feel like you’re saving the planet (at least your corner of it), even when the ground is frozen solid. For the experienced composters and sustainability leaders, please enjoy a laugh or two while knowing the example you are setting is indeed inspiring.

I am still intimidated by the idea of composting in general, let alone in winter. I overheard a conversation at work that involved the current composting efforts. It was December/January in Minnesota after it had started snowing for the season. My initial thought was, “Why would you compost during winter? How could anything possibly decompose in this weather? I can’t even feel my fingers!” 

So, I asked my co-worker, “You can compost during winter?” Apparently, composting isn’t just for warm weather. Consider me shooketh. With some compost strategy tweaks (look at me, talking about compost strategy like I know things) and some beginner-friendly suggestions (or, in my case, a lot of Googling and talking to my AMAZING co-workers), you can absolutely compost during winter. And trust me, if I can learn a little something, so can you!

Benefits of Composting

Why would you compost? There are a lot of reasons but surprisingly, a biggie is the carbon reduction! Composting keeps food scraps out of landfills, where they would release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The EPA estimates that in 2019, 66 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors, and most of this waste (about 60%) was sent to landfills.  Food waste comprises about 24 percent of municipal solid waste disposed of in landfills. Even in winter, I can do my part to reduce my environmental footprint, and honestly? I’m usually the problem, not the solution. 

What even is composting, really? Composting is the process of breaking down organic matter (like food scraps, yard waste, and paper) into nutrient-rich soil, sometimes called “black gold.” Meanwhile, I’m over here thinking “black gold” might be a type of coffee, and if it’s not, it should be. Turns out green material--a nitrogen source--is needed to break down brown materials (more on those below!). A 50/50 mix of green and brown materials is a good ratio.

You need a mix of greens (wet), browns (dry), air and water. Greens or wet can include things like fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds (hello black gold!) and fresh plant clippings/waste. Browns or dry includes items like dry leaves, unprocessed cardboard, newspaper, straw, and wood chips. Air and water are, well, air and water; but the amounts need to be watched closely. In warm weather, the breakdown process can happen fairly quickly, thanks to heat, decomposers, and science stuff. In winter, decomposition slows way down because of the cold, which makes sense. That doesn’t mean it stops completely.

As a humble (much to my dismay) beginner, I thought composting required a big outdoor pile, which seemed impossible with snow in the yard. Turns out, there are OPTIONS for winter composting, even in cold climates, and I’ve tried to bumble my way through learning about them. Here’s what I learned through a lot of online research, a little YouTube and even some gentle harassment of my poor co-workers who have yet to look at me like I have three heads even when I ask what should be (in hindsight) common sense questions. 

During winter months without snow, the compost looks a lot like summer (with less happening).

Option 1: Adjust Your Outdoor Compost for Winter -- or Don't

If you are already using an outdoor compost bin, it can sit all winter (and you can add to it) with no harm done. Depending on snow conditions, it may look just like non-winter compost only with a lot less happening! You can keep it processing/composting through the winter by insulating it. Pick a sunny spot that is sheltered from wind because even compost likes a little coziness (hey, that warmth is needed to break stuff down!). Once the perfect warm(ish) spot has been located, insulation is necessary. Things like old burlap sacks or blankets that are making their way towards the continuation-of-care life stage or even packing materials that you have saved to reuse at some point (that point has arrived) can be used. If you have an old tarp lying around, its time has come. Put the tarp over the bin to keep snow and ice out, but leave some gaps for air circulation, because apparently compost needs to breathe…

Compost bucket attractive enough for most any kitchen.

Option 2: Temporary Indoor Compost

If the idea of trudging through snow to an outdoor bin feels daunting, you are my people. There are indoor composting options for winter. My favorite, and the most beginner user-friendly in my very inexperienced opinion is stockpiling scraps for spring composting. Because sometimes the easy way, or as I like to think of it, the efficient beginner option is what works for you! And me.

Keep a sealed bucket somewhere convenient to toss food scraps. The cold weather acts like a natural refrigerator, preventing smells and decomposition until spring. When the time is right, I plan to dump all of my saved scraps into the compost bin that I have and did not insulate for winter, because cold. But you can also dig a hole, bury the scraps, and cover them with soil to let them decompose. The land does the work, you reap the reward. Even if it takes everything a little longer to decompose, it’s still keeping waste out of the landfill, and that’s a win, especially for a mostly clueless beginner like myself.

Tips for Outdoor or Indoor

I’ve read about some friendly starter tips to make winter composting a little easier for all of us neophytes (today’s vocabulary word). 

1. Size matters. Making the scraps smaller helps pieces break down more quickly. So, chop them up, use a food processor or do what is needed to live your best competition cooking show experience. 

2. Content matters. Pay attention to the scraps you are saving/using.  Try to avoid items that would draw in adorable woodland creatures that will raze your composting bin/pile like it’s a Bacchanalian buffet and make a mess out of all of your hard work and effort. These items include things like dairy or meat scraps.

   
   

3. Time matters. Patience–patience is a virtue I admire in others as I have none myself. This is by far the biggest lesson for me as a newbie, and also the hardest. Composting is a slow process, but it’s worth it for the environment and your garden…and bragging rights once you get it figured out. I’m not there yet, but I have goals.

Happy Dancing Turtle's compost pile with a fresh straw cover.

If you’re like me, zero experience but dreams of grandeur living while in a cold, snowy climate, with the survival skills of a goldfish (maybe I’ll cover those one day) don’t let winter stop you from composting. Start small, experiment with what works for you, and remember that even a frozen compost pile is better than a landfill. Together, we can make a difference, one vegetable scrap at a time—or at least, we can try our best and have a good laugh about it.

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