Can You Compost Bread?

Crispy cereal and three whole-grain tin loaf buns

Bread can be composted. It will break down in a backyard composter after a few months. However, composting bread can attract pests and other problems, so you'll need to take some precautions.

There’s a bit of debate around whether or not bread is compostable. Some people think that bread should never be composted, while others think it’s perfectly fine to add to the bin. Here, we’re going to discuss whether or not you should compost any bread in your composting bin.

Are you wondering what other kitchen and household items can be composted? You can find a comprehensive list of 100 + compostable items here.


Why Should you Compost Bread and Other Kitchen Waste?

Sliced loaf of ciabatta bread in parchment paper

Composting breaks down simple organic materials, such as approved food scraps, into nutrient-rich soil. Place larger items, including banana peels, apple cores, potato skins, and more into the composting bin for decomposition. Soon, you’ll be able to feed the resulting nutrient-dense soil to your plants for a more efficient growth cycle!  

If you’re just diving into composting, there are many ways to get started. Here are some of the most common methods:

  • Cold Composting - Ideal for making compost at home, cold composting is simple and just as efficient. Pile up your organic materials to leave out in nature. However, your compost may take at least a year to become full using this method.
  • Hot Composting - Utilize heat at the ideal hot temperature of 141 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit to increase decomposition for quick results. However, your pile will need to contain plenty of high-nitrogen materials, otherwise known as green compost.
  • Tumble Composting - You may compost food scraps using a rotating compost bin, which evenly distributes heat, moisture, and nutrients. However, tumble composting machines are usually on the smaller side.
  • Worm Composting - Otherwise referred to as vermicomposting, earthworms are mixed into organic matter to create rich soil. You may vermicompost in a unique bin with evenly spaced holes that provide air for the worms.
  • Indoor Composting - Perhaps the easiest method, indoor composting is ideal for people who live in smaller spaces and still want to reduce their carbon footprint. You can use indoor plastic storage containers or crates to contain your composting pile.

Speaking of indoor composting at home, Lomi is a composting bin that makes it easy to break down your food waste right from home. Best of all, it fits right on the kitchen counter!

If you are curious about Lomi are are wondering what it can and cannot compost, you can go here to find a list of items a Lomi can breakdown!


 

 


Can Bread Be Put In the Compost? 

A white bowl of organic waste to be composted

So, can you compost bread? Let’s find out!


How To Easily Compost Leftover Bread

There are several ways you can incorporate bread into your compost for faster decomposition. Let’s take a look at some of the following suggestions:

  • Rip the bread: You can rip bread into small bits before including it into the rest of your compost pile. Following this method attracts fewer pests and animals from possibly invading the pile.
  • Make a hole in the center for the bread scraps: Placing bread into the center of your compost pile builds more heat and again prevents possible attraction from animals and insects. Furthermore, this method can speed up overall decomposition.
  • Cover the bread and fill the hole: Placing any high-carbon materials on top of the bread is ideal for speeding up decomposition. Some examples of high-carbon materials, otherwise known as brown compost, to use are dry leaves or sawdust. Additionally, you may cover the bread and other food scraps with more compost.
  • Aerate your compost pile: Compost aerators can be very beneficial for any areas of your compost pile that require oxygen. You can also use a compost thermometer to check if the center of your pile reaches a hot temperature. 

 

Now that we’ve talked extensively about how any of these methods can speed up the decomposition process when incorporating bread, consider also adding manure, garden soil, or finished compost for speedy decomposition.



Can Moldy Bread Be Composted?

A piece of rye bread covered with gray and black mold

Yes. Moldy bread is ideal, but stale bread is also great for composting. While you probably shouldn’t eat mold, your compost pile will love it! Mold contributes further to decomposition, making it a great idea to compost moldy bread. 


Will Bread Attract Pests?

Close up of cockroach on a Whole wheat bread

Insects and rodents love composting bread and other kitchen scraps, but don't let that prevent you from adding it to your compost. Try adding bread to the middle of your pile and bury it under more mature materials. Not only will this speed up the composting process, it will also avoid attracting pests.


Is Bread Green or Brown Compost?

Contrary to the fact that bread is brown in shade, stale bread, crackers, and chips are considered green compost, otherwise known as nitrogen-rich material. Carbon-rich material, on the other hand, is referred to as brown compost. Brown materials include items such as toothpicks, Pela cases, sawdust, and more. Keep in mind that only about ⅓ of your compost pile should be green.


What Else Can I Compost? 

A whole loaf of bread and pasta

Focusing on other grains besides fresh bread, plenty of other starchy foods and baked goods are safe to throw in your compost bin. Let’s take a look at which grains you can place into a compost pile.


Can You Compost Pasta?

Sauced penne pasta dish on white squared bowl

Yes, you can toss cooked plain pasta into your composting machine. However, plain cooked pasta is recommended. If your pasta was cooked with any added oils or sauces, avoid adding to the compost pile. Otherwise, you risk having imbalanced compost.


Can You Compost Rice?

A white bowl of rice in the table

Yes, you can compost cooked and uncooked rice. However, rice can be more risky to compost because it commonly attracts insects and animals. Cooked rice is typically organic and compostable. Due to potential compost imbalance and pest attraction, cooked rice with added oils or sauces should not be added to your compost pile.


Can You Compost Raw Dough?

Person holding raw dough on brown wooden table

Yes, raw dough, specifically yeast, is an acceptable item to compost. Ultimately, yeast is a fungus, feeding natural sugars into any compost pile containing starch compounds. For instance, if you baked bread but had some leftover yeast, toss that into the compost pile. Both dried and fresh yeast are harmless items to add to your composting machine.


What’s the Easiest Way to Compost? 

Lomi machine in wooden kitchen counter

Although we’ve mentioned numerous composting methods, our favorite way to compost is right at home. Using the eco-friendly Lomi countertop composting machine, you can break down a myriad of food scraps, limit food waste, eliminate kitchen odors, reduce your carbon footprint, and more! In addition to food scraps, the innovative Lomi breaks down approved bioplastics in its Approved Bioplastic special cycle, including compostable cutlery, packaging, and coffee cups. 

To use Lomi, place all of your food scraps into the machine and watch the magic unfold. After running a cycle, you’ll have an end product rich in nutrients and organic matter that makes perfect plant soil. Overall, Lomi offers three cycles: Eco Express, Grow, and Approved Bioplastic. The longest cycle takes no more than 20 hours to accomplish, and all result in nutritious compost ideal for beginners.

Lomi by Pela

Lomi

★★★★★

Lomi allows you to turn food waste into plant-ready nutrients in under 24 hours. Boost your plants while reducing your waste.


Conclusion

To conclude, yes, you can compost bread! After all, bread is organic matter. If you have any bread lying around that may otherwise go to waste, go ahead and compost it. Best of all, bread scraps break down just as rapidly as other food scraps in your Lomi bin. Simply press a button, run the cycle of your choice, and let Lomi create nutrient-rich potting soil for you. 

 

Are you ready to reduce your carbon footprint by exploring the fastest compact composter on the market? To learn more about other composting methods, reserve your new Lomi, and read about other Pela products, visit our blog here