You’ll find different camps on composting rice when you do some research. We have put it in the no category because it requires a bit more thinking and work than other types of food. However, when you ask, “can I compost rice” the answer isn’t completely that clear. It is food and, therefore, will break down, but there are some things to consider.
We are going to cover those considerations in case you decide that you want to try. If you are just starting out, this might be a food to avoid for a while. If you’re doing vermicomposting, where you compost with the help of worms, then you might try a bit of rice. Don’t add too much though. If the rice starts to rot before the worms can compost it, then you will still attract pests.
The Problems with Composting Rice
Whether cooked or uncooked, rice poses some composting challenges. If you add rice to your compost, you might have some unexpected and undesirable results.
Both cooked and uncooked rice attracts pests like mice and rats, who like to use it as a nest and a snack (lunch in bed?). We want to avoid that.
Can You Compost Cooked Rice? Should you?
Let’s start with cooked rice. It tends to be clumpy and dense. This blocks airflow and creates anaerobic conditions. This is when there isn’t enough oxygen. It results in rotting and stinky compost. It can also promote the growth of harmful bacteria in your compost.
Can You Compost Uncooked Rice?
Uncooked rice is a bit less problematic than cooked rice. However, it’s a dense food that can take quite a while to break down.
How to Compost Rice If You’re Going to Do It
There are some ways that you can compost rice reasonably safely.
- Tumbler Composting – This will keep pests out if you have a tumbler or other enclosed composting system. Regular aeration will help to prevent anaerobic conditions.
- Vermicomposting – Rice is good, and the worms know that too. If you add rice in small amounts and spread it out, you should be able to compost the rice fine. Make sure to aerate regularly.
- Commercial Composting – Rice can be safely added to most commercial compost bins.
- Hot Composting – You can use hot composting, usually not suited for home composting. This is usually one for commercial composting operations.
Beware of Weevils
Just like with flour, one thing to be cautious of is weevils. These are little brown bugs that can invade rice. They are very small but brown in color, so they often stand out against most rice. Obviously they can be tougher to see in brown rice. If you see weevils in your rice, you either want to kill them before adding rice to compost or throw the rice out.
You can kill the weevils by freezing the rice at 0 degrees F for three days. After that, you should be safe to the rice to your compost pile, with the other cautions in mind.
Can You Compost Fried Rice? Yummy but no
No. Yes, it tastes great but contains several things (e.g., meat, oils) that are not good for composting. You want to avoid composting fried rice.
Rice is a staple of many households. Americans alone consume over four and a half million tons of the stuff. About 30% of all food is wasted each year, meaning that there is a lot of wasted rice in the waste stream that could be composted. However, rice has some challenges that could make your compost heap unpleasant. For beginners who aren’t vermicomposting, it might be best to leave it alone for now.