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Home compost calculator
Enter your household. See the bin size you need, the compost you will make, and the CO2e you avoid compared with landfill.
Your compost
Check the numbers and press Calculate.
Composting in a desert climate
- Shade is a must. A bin in full sun dries out and stops working.
- Water it. Aim for damp, like a wrung-out sponge. Check every few days in summer.
- Mix one bucket of greens (scraps) with one of browns (dry leaves, shredded cardboard, date palm fronds).
- Use a closed bin with a lid to keep moisture in and pests out.
- Turn it every week or two. Air stops bad smells.
Method and sources
Compostable food waste is people times kg per person times the share you compost. CO2e avoided is that weight times the landfill factor minus the composting factor. Bin size holds about 8 weeks of scraps plus the same volume of browns, at 0.5 kg per litre (assumption). Finished compost is about 30% of the scrap weight (assumption). Methane from Qatar landfills may differ from UK figures.
Questions
Can you compost in the Qatar heat?
Yes, but heat dries the pile fast. Keep the bin in shade, add water so it feels like a wrung-out sponge, and cover it. Summer piles break down fast if kept damp.
How much food does a Qatar household waste?
About 95 kg per person a year, from a ranking based on the UNEP Food Waste Index 2024. We could not confirm if that figure is household only.
Why is landfill worse than compost?
Food rotting in landfill with no air makes methane, a strong greenhouse gas. UK government factors give about 627 kg CO2e per tonne of food waste in landfill, against about 8.9 kg when composted.
What should not go in a home compost bin?
Meat, fish, bones, dairy and oily food. They smell and attract pests. Use the grey bin for those.
Get tips by email
Composting and food waste tips for Gulf homes. Once a month.