Standard guidance for backyard composting almost always includes a “no meat or bones” rule. The reasoning is real — these materials cause problems in typical home compost setups — but the rule is overly broad. Meat and bones absolutely can be composted under the right conditions. The “yes or no” depends entirely on which composting system you’re using.
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This article breaks down what actually happens when you compost meat and bones, why the standard rule exists, and how each major composting system handles these materials. The goal is to replace the simple “no” with a more useful framework for understanding when and how to compost meat and bones based on your specific composting setup.
Why the standard rule says no
Backyard composting guides usually prohibit meat and bones for several specific reasons:
1. Pest attraction. Meat scraps in an open backyard pile attract raccoons, rats, opossums, and (in some areas) bears, coyotes, and other wildlife. The animals dig through the pile, scatter contents, and return repeatedly once they identify it as a food source. This creates ongoing pest problems for the household and neighbors.
2. Slow decomposition in cool piles. Meat and bones break down through different microbial processes than vegetable scraps. They require either higher temperatures (above 130°F sustained) or much longer time (1-3 years for bones) to decompose fully. Most backyard piles run too cool for fast meat decomposition.
3. Odor production. Decomposing meat in low-oxygen conditions (which backyard piles often develop) produces strong odors — putrid, sulfurous, easily detectable from 50+ feet away. Even households accepting some compost smell find this category objectionable.
4. Pathogen risks. Raw meat can carry pathogens (Salmonella, E. coli, etc.). In well-managed hot composting, these are killed by sustained high temperatures. In a poorly-managed cool pile, they can persist for months.
5. Fat and grease management. Animal fat liquefies in pile heat and migrates throughout the compost, affecting the broader pile chemistry. Concentrated fat areas remain problematic for extended periods.
These issues are real for cool, open backyard piles. They’re not necessarily applicable to other composting systems.
System-by-system breakdown
Open backyard pile (no enclosure, ambient temperature)
Compost meat and bones? No.
Why: The system has all the failure modes — pest attraction, slow decomposition, odor, pathogen risk, fat issues. Recommended only for vegetable scraps, fruit scraps, paper, and yard waste.
Alternative: Use a different system (see below) for meat and bones, or send these scraps to municipal organics or a Bokashi system.
Enclosed backyard tumbler or bin (closed system, ambient temperature)
Compost meat and bones? Limited yes for small amounts of cooked meat scraps; no for raw meat or large bones.
Why: The enclosure prevents pest access. But ambient temperatures still mean slow decomposition and odor potential. Small amounts (a few ounces of cooked meat) processed alongside abundant brown matter (leaves, sawdust, shredded paper) work without major problems. Larger amounts or raw meat overwhelm the system.
Practical guidance: Treat as occasional inputs, not regular. Layer well with brown matter. Don’t open frequently in the days after adding meat (allow odors to be absorbed).
Hot composter (insulated, designed for high temperatures)
Compost meat and bones? Yes for cooked meat and small bones; limited for raw meat and large bones.
Why: Hot composters maintain sustained 130°F+ temperatures that kill pathogens and accelerate decomposition. Most cooked meat scraps and chicken bones break down within 2-3 months in a hot composter.
Practical guidance: Add meat and bones in moderate volumes, mix well with the existing pile, monitor temperature. The hot composter handles meat and bones better than any other backyard system. Brands: Joraform, Hotbin, Subpod (varying capabilities).
Bokashi composter (anaerobic fermentation system)
Compost meat and bones? Yes for all types — including raw meat, cooked meat, fish, and small bones.
Why: Bokashi uses anaerobic fermentation with EM (effective microorganisms) bran to ferment food waste in a sealed bucket. The fermentation process handles meat and bones without the typical pile issues — no oxygen exposure means no putrefaction odors, the sealed system prevents pest access, and the acidic fermentation environment kills pathogens.
Practical guidance: Add meat and bones to the Bokashi bucket layered with bran. After 2-3 weeks of fermentation, the pre-composted material can be buried in soil to complete decomposition (typically another 4-6 weeks underground). Brands: SCD Probiotics, Bokashi Living, various others.
The Bokashi approach is particularly good for small-space households (apartment dwellers) who want to compost meat and bones but don’t have backyard pile or hot composter capacity.
Vermicomposting (worm bin)
Compost meat and bones? No.
Why: Worms don’t process meat or bones effectively. Adding meat to a worm bin creates putrefaction issues, attracts pests, and can kill the worm population.
Practical guidance: Skip meat and bones in worm bins entirely. Save these materials for other systems.
Trench/pit composting (buried in ground)
Compost meat and bones? Yes, with careful site selection.
Why: Burying meat scraps and bones 18+ inches deep in soil isolates them from pest access while allowing soil microbes to decompose them over months. The depth prevents most surface odor.
Practical guidance: Dig a 2 foot deep hole away from human activity areas. Add meat and bones, cover with at least 12 inches of soil, then 6 inches of mulch. Mark the location to avoid digging there for 6-12 months. Best for households with yard space and consistent timing (once-monthly burial cycles work well).
Municipal organics pickup
Compost meat and bones? Yes, in most jurisdictions that have organics programs.
Why: Municipal commercial composting facilities operate at high temperatures (130°F+ sustained), have managed pile turning, and use professional pathogen-control protocols. They handle meat and bones routinely.
Practical guidance: Collect meat and bones in your home freezer until pickup day, then transfer to the green cart. The freezer storage prevents in-home odor and pest issues. On pickup day, the materials go to commercial processing.
This is by far the easiest path for households in cities with established organics pickup. The infrastructure handles the materials properly without requiring any special handling at home.
Subscription composting service (CompostNow, BootStrap, etc.)
Compost meat and bones? Yes, in most cases.
Why: Subscription services typically transport materials to commercial composting facilities, which handle the same materials municipal pickup does.
Practical guidance: Verify with your specific subscription service — some have variable acceptance. The major services (CompostNow, BootStrap Compost, MakeSoil) generally accept meat and bones.
Drop-off compost site (community garden, municipal drop-off)
Compost meat and bones? Variable — usually yes for managed sites, often no for unmanaged community piles.
Why: Drop-off sites at managed facilities (city composting yards, professional community gardens) typically handle meat and bones. Drop-off at unmanaged community garden piles may not be acceptable.
Practical guidance: Check posted signage at the drop-off site. When in doubt, ask the site manager.
What about specific food categories?
A few specific items deserve clarification:
Chicken and small bird bones: Easier to compost than larger bones. Hot composters handle these in 2-3 months; Bokashi handles them; municipal handles them.
Beef, pork, lamb bones: Harder. Take 6-24 months in hot composters; Bokashi pre-ferments them effectively but final decomposition takes longer; municipal handles them.
Fish and seafood: Often acceptable in Bokashi and municipal but generates strong odors during decomposition. Some hot composters struggle with fish smell.
Cooked meat scraps: Easier than raw meat for all systems. The cooking process partially breaks down proteins and reduces pathogen load.
Raw meat and trimmings: Higher pathogen risk; better suited to systems that maintain high temperatures (hot composters, municipal) or use anaerobic fermentation (Bokashi).
Bone broth/stock leftovers: The strained vegetables and bones from broth-making are softer and easier to compost than fresh bones.
Lard, tallow, large fat pieces: Most challenging. Bokashi handles best at small scale; municipal handles at any scale. Avoid in standard backyard piles.
Fish bones, shrimp shells, crab shells: Compost well in most systems (high calcium content actually benefits soil). Bokashi and municipal handle them; hot composters work.
Eggshells: Universally compostable in any system. Not actually meat but worth mentioning — they’re calcium-rich and add nutrient value to compost.
What if you only have a backyard pile?
Many households are committed to backyard pile composting and don’t want to add additional systems. The options:
Option 1: Skip meat and bones. Send these to landfill (or municipal organics if available). Continue using the backyard pile for vegetable scraps and yard waste.
Option 2: Add a Bokashi bucket alongside the pile. Bokashi pre-ferments meat and bones; the result can then be added to the backyard pile or buried in soil. The combined system handles a fuller waste stream.
Option 3: Designate one area of the yard for trench composting. Bury meat and bones occasionally; let the surrounding pile handle vegetable scraps.
Option 4: Upgrade to a hot composter. Replace the open pile with an enclosed hot composting system that handles meat and bones better.
For most households, Option 1 (skip meat and bones in the backyard pile) is the simplest. For households committed to composting essentially all food waste, Options 2-4 require additional investment but enable the broader handling.
Storage between disposal events
For households not adding meat and bones to a backyard pile, the question becomes how to store these materials between disposal events. The freezer-storage approach works:
- Designate a 1-2 quart freezer container for meat and bone scraps
- Add as generated
- Empty to disposal pathway (municipal cart, Bokashi, hot composter, trench) on the regular cycle
Frozen meat and bones produce no smell, attract no pests, and don’t create the in-home issues that countertop or refrigerator storage would. The freezer approach is robust for all the disposal pathways above.
Practical decision tree
For a household trying to figure out their meat and bone composting approach:
If you have municipal organics pickup: Use it. Easiest path. Freezer-store between pickups.
If you have a Bokashi system: Use it for meat and bones. Combine with backyard pile or trench composting for final decomposition.
If you have a hot composter: Use it. Handles most meat and bones effectively.
If you have only a backyard pile: Skip meat and bones in the pile. Send to landfill or another disposal pathway.
If you have a worm bin: Skip meat and bones. Use other system or pathway.
If you have access to a drop-off compost site: Check the site’s acceptance policy. If they accept meat and bones, use them.
If you have none of the above: Meat and bones go to landfill in your current setup. Adding a Bokashi system ($50-100 initial investment) or subscribing to a service ($25-50/month) opens up the composting pathway.
A reasonable summary
The blanket “no meat or bones in compost” rule is correct for open backyard piles but wrong for many other composting systems. Hot composters, Bokashi, municipal organics, subscription services, and properly-managed trench composting all handle meat and bones — sometimes routinely, sometimes with specific care.
For households with municipal organics pickup, the answer is simple: send everything (meat, bones, fish, dairy) to the green cart and let commercial composting handle it. For households with backyard composting only, the choice is between excluding meat and bones (simplest) or adding a complementary system (Bokashi or hot composter) that handles them.
The question “can I compost bones and meat?” doesn’t have a single answer — it depends on what composting system you have or are willing to add. With the right system, the answer is yes. The blanket “no” in standard composting guides reflects what works in the most common (open backyard pile) system, not what’s possible in the broader range of composting approaches available.
For households new to composting and considering options, the meat and bone question is worth thinking through upfront. If you produce significant meat scraps and want to compost everything, you’ll want a system that handles them — which points toward municipal pickup, hot composter, or Bokashi rather than basic backyard pile. The choice of composting system shapes what you can and can’t compost; choosing the right system at the start saves rework later.
For B2B sourcing, see our compostable supplies catalog or compostable bags catalog.
Background on the underlying standards: ASTM D6400 defines the U.S. industrial-compost performance bar, EN 13432 harmonises the EU equivalent, and the FTC Green Guides govern how “compostable” can be marketed on packaging in the United States.