Can I Compost Chicken Bones?
Can I Compost Chicken Bones?
In most composting situations, meat and animals products are some of the items you do NOT want to compost because they will cause problems. However, there is one special type of composting system which WILL allow you to compost chicken bones, which I explain below.
[Related: Top 10 Things NOT to Compost]
Why you shouldn’t put meat products in compost
Technically you CAN compost meat products, but it’s generally not recommended, as it will attract pests and can harbor pathogens like E. Coli bacteria if your pile doesn’t get hot enough. Bones will also take years to break down completely.
If you decide to try composting meat products, be sure that you are using a hot composting system and do your research. If you compost your food waste through a municipal collection system, they will most likely ask you to keep these products out, so please do.
How to safely compost meat and bones
If you are really motivated to compost your chicken bones and other food waste from animal products, you could try composting with a Bokashi bucket. Bokashi is a Japanese term meaning “fermented organic matter.” Bokashi composting uses a special inoculated bran to ferment your food waste, and will allow you to compost most types of food waste, including bones, meat and so on.
The Bokashi method is faster than traditional composting and it can also be a good alternative for apartment dwellers, although you do need to be able to find someplace to bury your scraps as they will not be completely decomposed from the fermenting process.
Disclaimer: I have not personally tried Bokashi composting yet, but I am interested in trying it out. If any Bokashi manufacturers out there would like to send me a Bokashi bucket, I’ll be happy to review your product.
Just getting started in composting and need a good basic primer? Check out our intro guide to composting, Composting 101.
