Clean and Green: Hereâs How to Compost In an Apartment
People eat a lot of food in the U.S. In fact, the average citizen ate 1,996 pounds of food in 2021. Composting even half of that would reduce methane emissions, help the food supply, and cut agricultural water needs significantly. Unfortunately, composting is still unavailable to many people.Â
If youâre living in San Francisco, or renting an apartment in New York City, you may have access to municipal composting programs. If this is true for you, all you need to compost in an apartment is a compost container. Otherwise, you can make your compost at home. Read on to learn how to compost in an apartment.
What is composting?
Composting is the natural process of recycling decaying organic matter (compost) into fertilizer. âCompost can be used as a soil amendment in gardens, lawns, and farms,â says Andrew from The Urban Canopy, a Chicago-based urban farm. âComposting helps clean our air, land, and water supply. We like to say, âif it grows, it goes.ââ
Anything that grows or is made of organic matter eventually decomposes. Composting speeds up the decomposition process by providing a nurturing environment for decomposing organisms such as worms, bacteria, and fungi. While Industrial composting facilities handle a majority of household compost, there are many other ways to compost at home. Putting your food in a municipal compost bin is one way, but you can also start a worm bin, an open-bin compost pile, or a closed-loop system.
Why is composting important?Â
The solid waste infrastructure in the U.S. focuses on landfilling. Because of this, only about 6% of food waste is composted. Many cities, states, and businesses have created localized composting programs with positive results, but thatâs a small portion of the countryâs waste. Composting at home reduces the strain on the nationwide composting infrastructure and can grant more people access to community composting programs.Â
Naomi Comerford, Co-Founder of Artizan Coffee, understands that most recyclable and compostable packaging ends up in landfills. âBuy in bulk and store in reusable glass containers. Look for products made from sustainable materials like bamboo. Our packaging shouldnât outlive us, yet a staggering percentage of recyclable plastics and aluminum end up in landfills which can take hundreds of years to degrade. Itâs the little things, but little things add up.â
How composting helps the environment
Learning how to compost in an apartment can help the environment in many ways:
Using compost in your soil
Instead of buying fertilizer, you can make it at home through composting. Fertilizer improves soil health by providing nutrients and attracting beneficial bacteria, fungi, and earthworms. Some plants require additional fertilizer to thrive.Â
To incorporate compost into your soil, apply an inch or so to the surface, more if itâs a new plant. You can use a compost tumbler to make this process easier.Â
Pro tip: try to involve your family
Reza Kashani from Compology, a global waste management solution company, recommends involving your kids to make composting fun for the whole family. âDesignate someone in your household to be in charge of composting. Itâs a great responsibility and teaching moment for kids. They can manage taking out the material and provide enthusiastic coaching to others.â
What can you compost?
What you can compost depends on where itâs being composted. Some items can only be commercially composted, while others decompose easily at home. If you live somewhere with a commercial compost facility, you can compost most organic materials, but this depends on your regionâs waste capabilities.Â
When youâre composting in your apartment, you should generally be able to compost:
Ensure your compost doesnât contain artificial materials or diseased plants, which can damage future soil. If youâre using a worm bin, donât include fruit pits, meat, dairy, pesticides, or pet waste because of possible diseases and harmful chemicals.
Composting basics
Composting generally requires four basic ingredients: brown material, green material, water, and oxygen.Â
If you want to make your own compost at home, ensure you have two to four times the amount of brown material to green material, with enough water to help break everything down.
Pro tip: store your compost in a proper container
Even when you subscribe to a weekly service, you still have to store compost in your house throughout the week. Make sure you are keeping your compost in an airtight container (we like using clear containers so we can see whatâs going on). If itâs really hot and sticky in the house, store food scraps in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer until youâre ready for disposal. â Nicolas Esposito, Director of Policy and Engagement at Circular Philadelphia.
How to compost if you have outdoor space
You can use these composting methods if your apartment has a deck, balcony, patio, or otherwise.
How to compost if you donât have outdoor space
Many apartments donât have any outdoor space, making composting more difficult. However, there are a few options.
Other composting methods
Pro tip: not enough space? Subscribe to a local composting program
The Make Food Not Waste team, a Detroit-based composting nonprofit, understands that living in an apartment can make composting difficult. âHowever, you still have options. Many services in Detroit will pick up your food scraps and compost them at a local community garden for you. This is great for when you donât have the space to compost them yourself.â
The simplest solution to compost at home: the worm bin
Itâs easy to start a worm bin at home. And no, itâs not smelly or gross. Hereâs how to do it in five simple steps.
How to harvest from a worm binÂ
If you stick to a weekly feeding schedule and keep your bin damp and aerated, you should have finished compost in three to six months. Once this happens, push the completed compost to one side and add a new base layer to the other side, feeding that side until all the worms move over. Now you can remove the completed compost, sift through it, and start again.
How to speed up the composting process
Depending on your composting method, itâs possible to speed up the composting process. For example, the Bokashi method takes around two weeks no matter what you do. However, there are ways to speed up composting if you have a compost pile, worm bin, or trench.
How to compost in an apartment without it smelling
Composting in an apartment should not be very smelly; healthy compost emits a pleasant, earthy smell. âCompost should smell like soil,â says Igor Lochert, President of The Worm Farm Portland. âIt will likely start to smell bad if you add meat, dairy, or seafood. Otherwise, there is another issue with your compost bin.âÂ
When your compost starts to smell, itâs telling you something is wrong. There are a few reasons why your compost may be smelling.
Pro tip: composting is vital in fighting climate change
âFew communities have municipalities that offer organic waste collection and provide solutions for apartments, multi-family developments, restaurants, and businesses. There is a massive gap in the accessibility of organic waste collection, and solutions need to start coming from local sources. If we donât address our organic waste issue, begin implementing solutions, and adopt new habits, we will continue to see rising temperatures and more major natural disasters.â â Katie Forsyth, Co-Founder of Friendly Composting, a Kamloops, Canada-based composting service.