How to Compost: 7 Essential Steps

Microbes have a hard time breaking down things like cheese, butter, milk, cooking oil, or scraps of meat. So avoid using your pile as a trash bin—add only fruit and veggie bits. Animal waste from Fido or Fluffy doesn't belong in there, either. Besides, you don't want this sort of stuff sitting around outside; it smells bad as it rots and attracts vermin. Enough said.