Composting in an Apartment 101

Hey earth muffins! Today I wanted to talk about something that I recently got into: composting in an apartment! 😊 When I started this eco-journey back in 2018, I knew that I definitely wanted to compost when I got my own place. In the United States, the average person throws away 219 pounds of food waste each year – that’s 40 million tons of food total! Why is this bad? Food can’t actually break down correctly when it goes to a landfill. Instead of turning into carbon dioxide, it releases methane due to the lack of oxygen; this is absolutely terrible for the environment! What can you do about this? Try to compost! Even if you don’t live in a house with a backyard space for a compost bin, don’t give up hope yet! Here are my top tips for composting in an apartment. 🌎❤️

How I Compost in my Apartment

First off, I would like to point out that I am definitely not a composting expert. This is all fairly new to me as well, but I figured that this shows that composting is actually easy to get into! So, I hope it can still inspire you all. 😍 If you are look for articles about all the different types of composting, I suggest this guide or checking out this website that is totally devoted to it.

If you are wanting to get into composting, I suggest checking to see if there are any pick-up or drop-off services in your city. This is what I ultimately chose, as I live in an apartment downtown with no outdoor space. These services can vary: some will give you a bin to put out with the trash and recycling, a bucket (like mine!) and collect the bucket on a specific day, or you collect your own compost and bring it to a designated spot to drop off.

A picture of a compost bin in an apartment — My compost bin stored under the kitchen sink!

Even though you will pay a small fee each month for this service, I think it is worth it. You get to support local groups that care about the environment! The organization that I support turns all the compost collected into soil. This soil is then returned back to you each month or donated to local community gardens. As I don’t have an outdoor space, I obviously donate my soil; it feels great knowing that my food waste is helping community spaces in my own city! 😊

Other Ways of Composting in an Apartment

Vermicompost

If you want a few new worm friends in your home, I suggest trying out vermicompost! The worms will break down your food waste right inside your apartment; however, note that the worms can’t turn everything into compost (ex. meat, seafood). So, if you aren’t a vegetarian this will not reduce all of your food waste. I’ve heard that vermicompost is most people’s go to choice in apartments; you don’t have to turn/mix the compost and can just leave the box of worms to do its thing. You can buy whole vermicompost sets on Amazon for $75-200 (affiliate link)!

Use an Effective Microogranism System

Worms may not be your thing, and I totally get that! Never fear, there are worm-free systems that are about half the price of vermicompost sets. For about $50 you can get a Bokashi system that uses microorganisms to break down your food waste (affiliate link). But, these systems are supposed to be transfered to a larger composting system (like vermicompost or outside compost bins); it might be smart to locate a friend who will take your compost once the bin gets full!

Tumbler Composting

If you are lucky enough to have a balcony or outdoor space, then I suggest getting a bigger composting bin that can be stored out there! You can get a bunch of different bins, but make sure you will be able to easily turn or mix the compost inside to keep it full of oxygen.

Overall, composting in an apartment isn’t that difficult to do. It might require some research and learning when you first start out, but the end result is amazing. I feel much happier when I toss my vegetable scraps into a compost bin than if I were to throw it into the trash. 🌎❤️ Do you compost??