{"id":18265,"date":"2014-12-12T15:05:28","date_gmt":"2014-12-12T20:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=18265"},"modified":"2014-12-12T15:05:28","modified_gmt":"2014-12-12T20:05:28","slug":"composting-small-spaces-ages-win-win-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/composting-small-spaces-ages-win-win-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Composting In Small Spaces: An All-Ages Win-Win Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"small<\/a><\/p>\n

Food scraps<\/a> are inevitable, but they add up to a large amount of waste: uneaten food accounts for 20 to 30 percent of what put into the garbage, according to the EPA. You hate to just throw the scraps out, but it’s not like you can have a compost pile in your small apartment, right?<\/p>\n

Not so fast! You might not have a full yard\u2013whether you’re a 20-something in your first apartment or a senior living in a small space\u2013but a compact compost bin under your sink will go a long way toward reducing the waste you produce. Your food scraps will stay out of the landfill and turn into rich fertilizer that your indoor garden will love.<\/p>\n

Creating Your First Indoor Composting Bin<\/h3>\n

The most efficient method of composting indoors is with worm composting, also called vermicomposting<\/a>. You’ll hardly notice it’s there \u2014 a properly maintained bin is odorless.<\/p>\n

The first step to composting is to find the perfect container. There are many commercially available products that can fit under your sink. Look for ‘compost digesters’ or even better, ‘compost tumblers.’ Alternatively, you can make your own out of a heavy duty trash can. Simply drill 1.5 cm aeration holes evenly spaced around the lid of the can.<\/p>\n

Next, you need the little recyclers who will do all of the hard work for you: worms. In particular, you need red wiggler worms (Eisenia foetida). These little guys eat half their weight in food each day! How many worms will you need? One pound of red wigglers will eat approximately 3.5 lbs. of food waste per week.<\/p>\n

Now that you have all of the ingredients you need, you can create your first worm bin:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Fill bin about two-thirds full with damp strips of paper.<\/li>\n
  2. Add some dry leaves, and sprinkle garden topsoil on top to jumpstart the composting process.<\/li>\n
  3. Add worms.<\/li>\n
  4. Let the composting begin!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Feeding Your Wigglers<\/h3>\n

    With your worm bin set up, you are ready to transform your leftovers into your wiggler’s next meal. But don’t go throwing everything in the bin willy-nilly! Your worms prefer a balanced diet, preferably vegetarian. Don’t feed them meat, bones, fish, grease and oils, or dairy products of any kind. These products imbalance your carefully constructed ecosystem and even worse, make your bin smell!<\/p>\n

    You’ll soon get the hang of what your worms like the best. Here are my tips for getting the most out of your compost:<\/p>\n