Composting can be thought of as recycling's smellier and more complex kin. But as important as it is, it can also create a lot of confusion. Approximately 40 percent of food in the US gets thrown away every year. Although reducing food waste should always be your first goal, composting is a last-ditch effort to put inedible food scraps to good use.

Composting doesn't have to be smelly or complicated. Here are a few top questions and myths people have about composting.