The world is grappling with an enormous food waste crisis, and in the U.S. alone, approximately 30-40% of the food supply goes to waste. However, there are actionable steps individuals can take to minimize organic waste ending up in landfills. From vegetable peels to coffee grounds or spoiled food, the composting process offers a sustainable solution to reduce food waste.
While composting ranks low on the Food Recovery Hierarchy, it remains an important step towards sustainability. Avoiding food waste altogether through careful meal planning and resourceful recipes is ideal, but some level of food waste is inevitable. Fortunately, you don't need a sprawling garden or outdoor space to start composting. Evidence even suggests that countertop composting can be just as, if not more, efficient due to consistent temperatures aiding the breakdown of organic matter (optimal decomposition occurs between 40 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit).
Let’s explore various indoor composting options to help you choose the right method based on your lifestyle and composting goals. There are generally three main composting methods to consider:
1. **Vermiculture**: This involves using worms to consume food waste and excrete nutrient-rich "worm castings," which create excellent compost.
2. **Aerobic Composting**: This traditional method involves mixing green matter (like food waste) with brown matter (such as paper or leaves), allowing the mixture to decompose naturally.
3. **Anaerobic Composting**: An example of this is the bokashi method, which involves composting in an airtight container with the addition of an accelerator to help break down the waste.
Now, let's dive into some specific indoor composting solutions for vermicomposting, bokashi, and traditional aerobic composting to help you find the best fit for your kitchen.
**Bokashi Starter Kit – Bokashi Living**
If you're new to bokashi composting, Bokashi Living offers a perfect starter kit that includes everything you need to get started with this Japanese composting method. Begin by adding food waste to the bin and sprinkling it with bokashi bran daily. The bran contains microorganisms that help ferment the food. Once the bin is full, seal it for two weeks. Afterward, the contents can be buried in your garden as a pre-compost, enriching the soil and feeding your plants. A major advantage of bokashi is its ability to handle a broader range of food waste, including meat and dairy products.
We recommend the company's two-bin starter kit since one bin ferments while the other fills up.
**SCD Probiotics Compost Bin**
For those looking for a more budget-friendly option to try bokashi composting, the SCD Probiotics bin is an excellent choice. Unlike the Bokashi Living option, it only comes with one bin, so you might need to purchase a second one later. It also lacks the warranty that Bokashi Living provides. However, it does include a bag of bran and features a spigot for draining nutrient-rich "leachate," which can be diluted and used to nourish your plants. This makes it a less intimidating entry point for those curious about bokashi composting.
**Urban Composter**
An innovative twist on the bokashi method is offered by the Urban Composter. This unit stands out with its sleek design, making it a stylish addition to your kitchen counter. Similar to other bokashi bins, the Urban Composter creates an anaerobic environment but requires regular sprays of their compost accelerator to enhance the natural decomposition process. You can continue adding food waste while it works. Although it doesn’t produce ready compost, burying it in your garden or a pot for 6-8 weeks results in a useful fertilizer. This low-effort solution is ideal for urban dwellers who still want to manage their food scraps indoors.
**The Worm Factory 360**
The Worm Factory 360 is a powerhouse of an indoor compost bin. One of the key benefits of vermiculture is that you don’t need to manually mix the contents since the worms naturally create pathways for air and moisture as they consume the waste. The 360 enhances this convenience by offering four stacking trays, allowing you to empty and clean the bin less frequently. You can expand the system with additional trays as needed. It also comes with a five-year warranty, emphasizing its durability and suitability for serious vermiculture enthusiasts.
**Urbalive Worm Farm**
For those a bit squeamish about traditional worm composting, the Urbalive Worm Farm might be the perfect compromise. This beautifully designed worm farm looks great in any modern home. It consists of two layers, and once the worms finish processing the waste on the lower level, they move to the upper layer, leaving nutrient-rich worm castings behind. There’s also a spigot at the bottom for collecting "worm tea." The only downside is its size—it’s 24 inches tall, which might not be ideal for smaller spaces, but its design ensures it doesn’t need to be hidden.
**Sacred Resources Worm Composter**
The Sacred Resources Worm Composter is a sustainably crafted compost bin made from beetle-kill pine, leftover after pine beetles devastate Colorado’s pine forests. Upcycling these materials results in a stunning product. Unlike other vermiculture farms, this bin collects worm tea in a drip tray, which may not be ideal if you want to keep it indoors due to potential odors. Still, its unique design and eco-friendly approach make it a standout choice.
**Bamboozle Food Composter**
The Bamboozle Food Composter is a charming countertop compost collector designed to be emptied into a larger compost pile regularly. Made almost entirely of biodegradable bamboo fiber, it’s not only eco-friendly but also visually appealing. Its charcoal filters effectively combat odors for several days, making it a great option for those seeking an aesthetically pleasing composting tool.
**Polder Kitchen Compost Bin**
The Polder Kitchen Composter distinguishes itself from typical countertop compost bins with its silicone construction, allowing for easy emptying and cleaning. Another unique feature is its rotating lid, which controls airflow and odor levels. This isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a practical solution for those with limited kitchen space, especially when hosting guests.
**Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50**
Unlike traditional composters, the Vitamix FoodCycler is more akin to an organic recycling machine. For its premium price, it offers a fully automated process that turns everything from eggshells to bones into usable fertilizer within a single day. Plugged into an outlet, it operates with the push of a button, dehydrating and grinding food waste to a fraction of its original size. Though efficient, using less than 1 kWh per cycle, it’s not a self-contained composting system. Despite this, the company claims it emits 54% less CO2 than an outdoor aerobic compost bin, making it a viable option for those seeking minimal effort in reducing food waste.
**Envirocycle Mini Composting Bin**
Although not marketed specifically as an indoor compost bin, the Envirocycle is compact and tidy enough to place on a porch or balcony as an odor-free outdoor compost bin. This simple, elegant aerobic compost bucket transforms food waste into nutrient-rich compost in as little as four weeks. By adding 25% brown material and 75% green material, turning the drum three times every three days, and draining the leachate, you’ll soon have valuable compost. Just ensure you know what’s compostable and what’s not.
In conclusion, there are numerous ways to reduce food waste through indoor composting. Whether you opt for vermiculture, aerobic composting, or bokashi, each method has its own set of advantages and challenges. Even if you lack a garden or outdoor space, finding a nearby composting facility can help you contribute to reducing landfill waste.
Remember, indoor composting is just one piece of the puzzle in reducing food waste. For further resources to help cut down on food waste at home or work, consider subscribing to the blog or browsing the store today.
If you have questions or need personalized advice, feel free to contact one of our TRUE Advisors today.
A wooden crate has a self-supporting structure, with or without sheathing. For a wooden container to be a crate, all six of its sides must be put in place to result in the rated strength of the container. Crates are distinct from wooden boxes. The strength of a Wooden Box is rated based on the weight it can carry before the top (top, ends, and sides) is installed, whereas the strength of a crate is rated with the top in place. In general conversation, the term crate is sometimes used to denote a wooden box.
Although the definition of a wooden crate, as compared to a wooden box, is clear, construction of the two often results in a container that is not clearly a crate or a box. Both wooden crates and wooden boxes are constructed to contain unique items, the design of either a crate or box may use principles from both. In this case, the container will typically be defined by how the edges and corners of the container are constructed. If the sheathing (either plywood or lumber) can be removed, and a framed structure will remain standing, the container would likely be termed a crate. If removal of the sheathing results in no way of fastening the lumber around the edges of the container, the container would likely be termed a wooden box.
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