What a start it’s been to April!
A blazing sun saw our house party spill out into the garden—where, with Easter coming up, the kids lined up to have a bash at the piñata swinging from the rose arch.
With colorful paper strings scattered across the grass, I couldn’t help but think about all the bits and bobs holidays like this leave behind—and how composting can help turn some of that unavoidable waste into something undoubtedly not waste.
So with that in mind, here’s my top Easter composting tips to help you keep things fun, festive, and a little greener this spring.
The Easter Waste That Can Go In Your Compost Bin
If it’s organic, it can be composted—in theory!
That includes:
- Cardboard packaging from Easter eggs
- Greeting cards (non-glossy)
- Basket fillers like shredded paper or straw
- And yes, even that colorful piñata paper
Don’t worry too much about ink on paper—nowadays, there are strict rules about the ink that can be used, with the toxins of past years largely eliminated.
That said, avoid shiny, waxy, or glossy paper, as these can be much harder to compost.
Ideally shred the cardboard and paper first, as it will break down more easily.
If you have a lot of shredded paper, ensure it is well mixed with other materials, as it can easily clump together if it gets wet.
Both paper and cardboard are high in carbon and are perfect for mixing with high-nitrogen greens—such as all the spring grass springing up after its long winter sleep.
Egg shells
Eggshells are not the easiest things to compost – indeed, you might well find that the shells hang around long after the rest of your materials have turned into fine compost.
Adding them to your compost won’t do any harm, though. If you have the patience, you can bake them in the oven and then grind them into a powder to add to your compost.
Chocolate eggs, you ask?
In my household, chocolate never makes it to the compost heap, but it is theoretically compostable—just bury it deep, because mice and rats love it too.
Other food waste
Veg and fruit peelings are an obvious choice for the compost bin.
With other foods, it depends how adventurous you are.
Meat, oil and fish can be composted, but they are more challenging than other materials, and best dug deep into a hot compost bin.
If you are keen to compost them, and you are new to composting/don’t have a hot compost on the go, try trench composting —but be careful to ensure they’re dug deep enough that they won’t attract pests.
Read more: What You Can Compost: From Everyday Items To The Bizarre
Get your kitchen countertop bins ready
This year, my wife showed me how effective properly labelled waste bins can be.
Prior to our party, my wife labeled up countertop bins for our untrained house guests.
Bins were separated into food waste, compost waste and chicken food – each with examples of what should be added.
This worked a treat – in contrast to previous parties, I didn’t have nearly as much resorting to do afterwards!
Bonus tip: Slip in some education!
Having little kids around the house again reminded me how fascinated they are by composting.
After collecting the eggs and stroking the friendliest chicken, we inspected the hot compost—and finished off by checking the worm farm. (Sadly, all the children refused my offer of worm spaghetti.)
All of which offered a great opportunity to gently slip in a few words about decomposition and compost – tailored to age, of course!
Read more: Should Schools Teach Kids to Compost?
Wrapping It Up
And that’s it for our Easter composting tips—nothing too heavy, just a few simple ways to keep things a little greener while still enjoying the chocolate, the chaos, and (hopefully!) the sunshine.
So here’s to turning Easter mess into garden gold—and maybe even inspiring a new generation of little composters along the way!