Here are some simple tips that will help you produce almost completely usable compost in far less time. Before we get into those specifics though, let’s point out a few general do's and don'ts about composting.

You do need a suitable spot to compost and a compost bin. You can buy two 18- gallon plastic totes (containers) with covers and drill a couple of holes on each side (we recommend you use a big drill), so your pile gets the air it needs to decompose. Since you will need to toss your pile often (once or twice a week), two totes will allow you to mix or toss the mixture easily by "forking" or "dumping" the pile from one tote to the other.  The tossing helps the pile decompose faster and with little odor. Covering the pile prevents run off of necessary ingredients such as nitrogen and creates an enclosed environment for the microbes to grow and develop in (that is really what makes the compost: the "working" of microbes).

These are some things that can be composted: cereal boxes, pasta boxes (cut them up before adding for faster break down), brown paper, crushed egg shells, news paper, fruits and vegetables peeling and scraps, weeds and grass cuttings.

Some things you should not compost are meat, fat, oils, cooked food, dairy products, or pet waste. These will attract animals and they will also inhibit the process of the microbes by introducing other bacteria or food sources for larger organisms. In general anything that kills the microbes that actually produce the compost should be avoided.

The idea is to have approximately equal quantities of the "green" and the "brown" best organized into alternating layers. Some common nitrogen rich items (green) you can add are things like grass cuttings, raw vegetable peelings and scraps, tea leaves, coffee grounds (no too much though), young green weed growth without seeds and garden clippings (do not put clippings from mildewed or diseased plants). Brown items may be a bit more common and some of them are: cereal boxes, brown paper bags, newspaper, wood shavings, hedge clippings, sawdust, and dead leaves.

If you fill your compost bin completely, the temperature will likely rise when you leave the heap sitting for extended periods (one to two weeks). Adding a layer of no more than 30cm at a time will help to reduce any sort of heat build-up. Also finding worms in your pile is a good sign your compost is working.

Compost can take as little as six to eight weeks and as long as a year to mature. Mature compost should crumble to nearly a soil like appearance and be a dark brown, earthy smelling material. When it is ready, you can remove what you want of it, mix the remaining and return it to the desired moisture level by wetting it or adding dry materials (you don't want your pile to be too wet or too dry). You can add fresh materials to your heap keeping in mind the most mature compost will likely be at the bottom of the heap, so you may want to place the fresh on the bottom.