Where do Bones go?

Bones break down eventually in a garden heap but take years, and in the meantime they draw rats, foxes and flies, so home composting guidance excludes them along with meat. Municipal food waste treatment has no such problem: anaerobic digesters and in-vessel composting operate at temperatures that deal with meat and bone safely, which is why the caddy accepts what the heap does not. Where there is no food waste collection, bones go in general waste. Stock-making first is worth doing, and the softened bones afterwards go the same way. Whether bones have a route at all depends on whether your council collects food waste, so check locally.

How to prepare it

1. Make stock first if you are inclined; the disposal route is unchanged afterwards.
2. Wrap them if they are going into general waste, to keep the bin clean.

What not to do

• Never put bones or meat in a home compost heap or a wormery — it attracts vermin and does not get hot enough.
• Never give cooked bones to a dog; they splinter.

Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

Other things that go to food waste collection

• Food scraps and leftovers Food waste collection where you have one — it accepts cooked food, meat and dairy, unlike a home compost heap.
• Teabags Food waste or compost — but many bags are sealed with polypropylene, and that plastic mesh stays behind.
• Cooking fat, lard and dripping Let it solidify, scrape it into the food waste or general bin. Never down the drain, at any temperature.
• Coffee grounds Compost heap or food waste. Good material in both, in moderation.
• Eggshells Compost or food waste. Crush them first or they will still be recognisable next year.