Balance a compost pile's carbon to nitrogen ratio and estimate yield.
Composting works best around a 30 to 1 carbon to nitrogen ratio. Too much nitrogen produces ammonia odour while too much carbon stalls decomposition, and roughly two thirds of the mass is lost as water and carbon dioxide. Diverting food waste from landfill avoids methane emissions, which matters more than the compost produced since landfill decomposition is anaerobic.
Compost
Blended ratio = total carbon ÷ total nitrogen; the target is about 30 to 1
Blended ratio = total carbon ÷ total nitrogen; the target is about 30 to 1 Composting works best around a 30 to 1 carbon to nitrogen ratio. Too much nitrogen produces ammonia odour while too much carbon stalls decomposition, and roughly two thirds of the mass is lost as water and carbon dioxide.
Diverting food waste from landfill avoids methane emissions, which matters more than the compost produced since landfill decomposition is anaerobic.
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Nitrogen-rich green waste, Carbon-rich brown waste, Carbon to nitrogen ratio of greens, Carbon to nitrogen ratio of browns, Turning interval. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.