Compost is not a food waste solution. Sorry.

Composted food is still wasted food.

The food that was grown or produced for human consumption should be consumed by humans. 

It should not be fed to animals or to a composter. 

You don’t put the seed into the soil with the intention to grow composting material. 

You grow food to feed humans.

While it is important to have a composter for all the inedible food, it shouldn’t be looked at as the solution for food waste. 

Compost creates comfort by hiding the problem. It does not solve the problem. Oftentimes, it fuels the problem, as now we feel less guilty about wasting food, because well, it goes back into the soil and keeps the planet healthy, right?

No. 

We will keep the planet more healthy if we stop wasting food that was grown, harvested, transported, stored, handled and prepped. There is plenty of organic material and inedible parts of plants that are perfect for compost. 

A vegetable to be used, not to be composted.

Compost is there to have your back when things go wrong, so you don’t have to put food into a general waste bin, but don’t look at the composter as your best friend who can solve all your problems.

And as the largest motivation behind reducing waste is usually financial, we need to accept that there is no (or very minimal) financial return on composting. 

The composter won’t help you to reduce your food costs. What will help you to reduce food costs is to make the most of every single ingredient in your kitchen, and to prevent that food waste in the first place.