Can You Compost Meat?
No, not in a backyard pile. Meat and bones attract rats, raccoons and dogs, and they smell as they rot. Use bokashi or a municipal food-scrap program instead.
At a glance
| Home compost pile | No |
|---|---|
| Green or brown | Neither (not a green or brown input) |
| Moisture | Wet |
| Prep | None needed |
| Worm bin | No |
| Bokashi | Yes |
What to do with meat instead
Use municipal food-scrap collection, bokashi, or the trash. Simmer bones for stock first if you like.
Don't add meat to a home pile or bin. Freeze meat scraps and bones until collection day if your city takes food waste, or ferment them in bokashi and then bury the result at least 8 in (20 cm) deep.
What goes wrong
Meat is the most common reason a pile gets raided by animals, and it produces a strong rotting smell. If some went in, dig it out or bury it deep under browns. Commercial facilities handle meat because their piles stay consistently hot; most home piles don't.
Worm bins and bokashi
Worm bin: Never add meat to a worm bin; it rots, smells and attracts flies.
Bokashi: Bokashi handles meat and small bones well; bury the fermented contents deep so animals don't dig them up.
Balancing the rest of your pile? Check the balance with the compost mix calculator.
From hopcompost.com/can-you-compost/meat/ · General guidance, not professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't you compost meat at home?
Meat does break down, but it attracts pests and smells in piles that don't stay reliably hot. Commercial facilities run hotter and are managed to handle it.
Can you compost bones?
Not in a backyard pile. They break down very slowly and attract animals. Bokashi softens them, and many municipal programs accept them.
Can you compost meat in bokashi?
Yes. Bokashi ferments meat, fish and dairy. After about 2 weeks in the bucket, bury the contents at least 8 in (20 cm) deep in soil or a pile, and give it 2–4 weeks.