7 Tips & Bins For Composting At Home
Hate waste? Love the planet? Try these 7 composting tips and bins for composting at home – perfect no matter where you live!
By Chere Di Boscio
As our municipalities become ever more restrictive, lazy and corrupt, composting becomes more essential. I mean, here in the UK, rubbish is collected once every two weeks. And the taxes we pay to the council? Outrageously high, and increasing year by year.
What that means is that we need to get creative with our garbage.
Some just chuck it over into the neighbour’s yard, or worse, fly tip it anywhere. And that’s just damn anti-social. Instead, as much as we hate the council’s policies, we should learn how to compost.
I know. I hear you. You’re thinking: composting? How am I meant to do that when I live in a small apartment? Or studio? Or space with no garden?
Never fear, my friends. there are composting tips you can do at home, too. And it’s worth it! Not only does composting help divert food waste from landfills, but it also enriches our gardens and reduces the need for chemical fertilisers. Oh, and it stops your kitchen from stinking when the council doesn’t collect your food garbage for weeks!
7 Ways To Compost At Home
Before diving into composting, let’s get to the heart of what it is. Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter, such as food scraps and yard waste, into a rich soil amendment. It’s an eco-friendly practice that everyone can do, regardless of space or gardening expertise. As I just mentioned above.
1. Choose the Right Compost Bin
One of your first steps in composting is selecting an appropriate bin. You can purchase one that suits your aesthetic or even make your own from recycled materials. If you have limited space, consider a compact tumbler or even a worm bin (vermicomposting), which is great for flats and apartments.
Personally, I have a big garden, so my compost ‘bin’ is actually a giant hole in the ground. It’s surrounded by slatted wood walls, and it has a removable wood roof, which allows me to get in there with a pitchfork to stir it up.
Simple, but it works for me! I also throw mown grass in there. Just saying.
2. Balance Your Greens and Browns
Successful composting requires a balance between ‘greens’ (nitrogen-rich materials like fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and grass clippings) and ‘browns’ (carbon-rich materials such as dry leaves, cardboard, and newspaper).
Aim for a ratio of about 2:1 browns to greens. So, every time you toss in delicious scraps from your kitchen, make sure to add some dried leaves or shredded paper.
3. Mind Your Food Scraps
While composting is an excellent way to reduce kitchen waste, not every item can join your compost pile. Foods like meat, dairy, and oily leftovers may attract pests and cause nasty odour issues.
Stick to composting only fruits, vegetables, eggshells, and coffee grounds for a thriving compost. This will also create a friendly environment for those beneficial microorganisms!
4. Keep it Moist
Just like a garden requires the right amount of water, your compost needs moisture too. It should feel like a damp sponge. If it’s too dry, it won’t break down quickly. And if it’s too wet, it may become anaerobic. The result? A yucky stink.
When in doubt, sprinkle a little water on dry layers or mix in some dry materials to absorb excess moisture.
5. Turn, Turn, Turn!
Aerating your compost pile is key to maintaining its health and promoting decomposition. If you’re composting outside, regularly turning the pile using a pitchfork or shovel introduces oxygen. This helps accelerate the breakdown process. Aim to turn your pile every couple of weeks, and soon you’ll see the transformation into dark, crumbly compost.
If you’re composting indoors, ensure you buy the kind of bin that has a spinner thingie on it. Kind of like a giant salad spinner.
6. Do Composting in Small Spaces
If you live in an apartment or have a small garden, don’t fret! Composting can be done in limited spaces. Bokashi composting is an excellent solution that involves anaerobically fermenting kitchen waste in a sealed container. (Learn more by checking out number 5, below)
Alternatively, consider using a countertop compost bin for smaller scraps, and then transfer them to your garden or a community composting site.
7. Actually Use Your Compost
Once your compost is ready—typically in a few months—you can use it to enrich your garden, houseplants, or potted plants. Whether you sprinkle it into your garden beds or mix it into potting soil, this “black gold” will work wonders for your plants and soil health.
Got green spaces in your ‘hood that could do with some TLC? Why not consider starting a neighbourhood composting community? You can not only pool resources and knowledge with your neighbours, but you can all dump your compost into a common area to make it richer and greener. Win, win!
The Best Compost Bins For Your Home
1. Simplehuman Compost Caddy
You’re cleaning off the plates. There’s a ton of veggie waste on them. Instead of putting them in the bin, put them in the other bin! It’s easy when you have the Simplehuman Compost Caddy.
It just hangs neatly on the side of your trash can and is easy to detach. Magnets help keep the lid open while in use. An inner bucket holds a large amount of food scraps and is easy to remove for dumping compost or cleaning.
This is perfect for small apartments and single people who don’t generate a lot of food scraps.
Price: $50
One of the best bins for composting at home for: Convenience.
2. FCMP Outdoor
Let’s get serious about composting! This large, dual-chamber 37-gallon, 8-sided tumbling composter capacity creates an uninterrupted flow of rich, healthy compost. All you have to do is fill it up, close the doors, and turn it 5-6 times every 2-3 days. If you live in a hot, sunny place, you should have some compost in just 2 short weeks!
Price: $112
One of the best bins for composting at home for: Those with gardens.
3. Miulika
Every home should have a Miulika!
Equipped with an easy to replace and clean filter, this kitchen compost bucket always guarantees optimal hygiene and freshness. Its kitchen waste compost bucket can also be used as a pet food storage bucket, providing dry and wet separation function to keep food fresh and clean.
This waste container can hold several days of kitchen waste, minimising the number of trips to an outdoor compost pile. And we love that it comes with a tool for mixing that compost up. But the best part? It can easily be placed in the dishwasher for simple cleaning. Or, you can wash it by hand if you prefer.
Price: $48
One of the best bins for composting at home for: Those on a budget.
4. Dextrus
Got a muck room, garage, or large kitchen, but no garden? This is the best home composting bin for you! (Though it is perfect for gardens, too).
It boasts 12 aeration holes on each side for great air circulation, allowing oxygen to mix with the compost and decompose clumps while removing odours and controlling water for fantastic composting results.
It was designed with a handy and safe lid to block pesky critters from entering or wind from knocking over the bin; Spacious access and a detachable sliding door allow for you to pop in scraps and clippings, as well as to take out the finished compost.
It’s made from high-quality BPA-free PP that renders sturdy structure and lasting durability.
Price: $60
One of the best bins for composting at home for: Those with a garden, or a large kitchen or garage.
5. SCD Probiotics
We did say above that you can basically only compost veggies, fruits, eggshells and coffee grounds. But not if you have this bin!
Unlike other kitchen countertop compost bins, this composter uses the microbial power of All Seasons Bokashi to ferment your food waste after every meal or snack. It’s easy to recycle any kind of food—even small bones, meat, dairy, and oily foods. Its kitchen-friendly design features a lid that locks tightly for easy, airtight fermentation. The compost bucket is made from high-quality, recycled plastic that won’t weaken during the decomposing process or leach harmful chemicals into your compost.
If you’re wondering why you should ferment your food scrap, here’s the answer. It doesn’t stink, saves time and energy, and speeds up the composting process.
The bin also allows you to make compost tea. This is a powerful plant fertiliser! The built-in spigot of this bin makes accessing nutrient-rich compost tea quick and easy. Simply drain, dilute, and use to nurture your house plants. Plus bokashi composting loses fewer nutrients than traditional composting methods, making both your compost and compost tea an even richer source of garden gold.
Price: $76
One of the best bins for composting at home for: Getting rid of small bones, oily foods, and other stuff that’s not usually compostable.
Conclusions
Composting is a fantastic way to make a significant impact while cultivating a nurturing environment for plants. With these composting tips at home, you can easily embark on this fulfilling journey. Remember, every small action counts toward a healthier planet.
So grab your scraps, find your bin, and let’s make composting a part of our daily eco-living routine.
Happy composting!
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