EcoHearth: Come Home to the Earth

Plant material is easy to compost. (See my piece, Composting 101, for step-by-step instructions.) But what to do with protein waste like leftover bones from fish, beef, pork and foul; eggshells, moldy cheese, sour milk and fat; or the quarry your dogs and cats leave for you? These things are all compostable, but only with special care. Here's what you need to know to spare the landfill—and spare yourself the serious repercussions from doing it wrong.

The problem with animal protein is that it decomposes very slowly. The moisture and heat in a compost heap that works so well to aid the breakdown of vegetable matter, in the case of animal protein only attracts maggots—ick! This results in biting flies—more ick! Slow decomposing also offers a nest for unhealthy bacteria and rodents. And we didn’t even get to the part about the smell. However, with forethought, there are effective and palatable ways to compost flesh, bones and other yucky stuff.

Whether it be spoiled meat left too long in your refrigerator, road kill, a deceased pet or other animal matter that you want to dispose of in a natural way, it’s perfectly fine to add it to your compost heap. But do so only if you implement these three invaluable tips:

1. Toss a handful or two of lime on the animal bits to help speed decomposition.
2. Cover the animal parts with generous amounts of plant matter. Then stomp these down tightly. This will reduce the odors (unpleasant for humans, but attractive to some scavengers—like wild dogs, rats, mice, skunks, raccoons, buzzards and even some bears—which may use their superior sense of smell to find and dig up what you want to keep safely and productively buried.
3. Add strong, tall wire sides to your compost heap and cover the top with a tarp. This is further insurance against animals digging into your pile.

Composted animals, especially fish, make for finished compost that is even more nutritious than normal by supercharging it with nitrogen. So next time you have animal products to dispose of, give the landfill a break. Use your compost heap—and make both your garden and the Earth healthier and happier.

Additional resources:
How to Compost Meat, Egg Shells and Sour Milk
Composting 101: What You Need to Know to Start Now

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