Composting is one of the best methods for reducing domestic waste. It’s amazing how dramatically a household’s garbage is reduced when one stops throwing out apple cores, carrot tops, moldy leftovers, stale bread, banana peels, etc. While standard composting is great for those with back yards, it’s impractical for people living in apartments and condominiums who only have a balcony.
Worm Composting is Ideal for Apartment and Condo Dwellers
Worm composting is the perfect solution for condo and apartment dwellers because it performs the same function as regular composting, but requires much less space and works over a shorter period of time. Worm composters are also easy to maintain.
What Can Go Into a Worm Composter?
- vegetable and fruit scraps
- meat scraps
- old, moldy leftovers from the back of the fridge
- bacon fat
- egg shells
- coffee grounds and tea bags
- old flower bouquets
Materials Needed to Start a Worm Composting Bin
- a bin. 50 litres (13 gallons) is a good size.
- a tray big enough for the worm bin to sit in
- one pound of red wriggler worms
- bedding (shredded newspapers, dried grass clippings, hay, dried leaves, etc.)
- one scoop of sand
How to Set Up a Worm Composter
- drill 10 or 12 1/4” holes in the bottom of the bin
- fill the bin 3/4 full with bedding
- add one scoop of sand (helps the worms break down the material)
- dump in the worms
- place the worm bin on top of the tray
- put the worm bin in a shady location
Adding Kitchen Waste to the Worm Composter
- Use a garden fork to pull the bedding aside
- Dump kitchen waste into the worm bin
- Cover the waste with bedding
Rotate Waste in the Bin
Worms like to do their work undisturbed, so rotate where waste gets added to the worm bin. For example, look at a large square worm bin as having four sectors and work around in a circle. That way the worms will have two or three weeks to work their way through the food before more gets added to the same area of the worm bin.
No Kitchen Smells: Use the Freezer
A waste container may take a few days or a week before it’s ready to be emptied into the worm bin. But a container sitting on the counter looks ugly, may start to smell, and is a magnet for fruit flies. A great alternative is to store waste in the freezer. The benefits of this are:
- no smells
- no fruit flies
- freezing begins the breaking down process for many types of organic waste
- frozen avocado skins and banana peels can be easily crumpled into smaller pieces
Further reading: How to Maintain a Worm Composter.
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