Don't toss these common kitchen scraps — they can be repurposed into a simple DIY fertilizer for your garden.

Home improvement expert April Wilkerson provides straightforward blueprints for a high-capacity, three-section composting system to manage organic waste.

Or you can just keep a cold compost pile and wait six months to a year for things to break down. For standard backyard composting, stick to egg shells, produce, torn-up paper, and yard waste—no meat.