Perhaps you’re already composting all of your yard waste and garden waste. If so, great work!

But are you throwing away kitchen scraps that you could turn into rich, finished compost instead?

Don’t throw away those scraps — collect them with a compost can in your kitchen!

You can use your own sealed container if you want, but a specialized pail sometimes looks a bit nicer on your kitchen counter. Here are some different types of compost cans for you to consider.

A plastic compost can is the cheapest way to go, other than using a container that you already own. This one is $19, from Clean Air Gardening.

A ceramic compost canister looks like fine china when it sits on your kitchen counter, and it’s easy to clean in the dishwasher. Just be careful not to drop it, or CRASH! $39 at Clean Air Gardening.

Does your kitchen have the stainless look? If so, a stainless steel compost can would go right with everything else! $39 at Clean Air Gardening.

Compost is renewable, so why not use renewable bamboo for your compost can? This one actually has a plastic liner, so it’s not ALL eco friendly. But the plastic liner can be washed in the dishwasher, which is convenient. $39 at Clean Air Gardening.

What do you use to collect your kitchen scraps for composting? Leave a comment!

Photo courtesy of glue&glitter at Flickr.com.

Composting doesn’t require a big back yard… or even a backyard at all. There are several types of composter that can be used indoors, and are perfect if you have a postage stamp sized yard or live in an apartment. These composters work through one of two methods – they’re either aerobic, or anaerobic.

An aerobic composter uses bacteria that consume oxygen. These bacteria are “more advanced” than anaerobic bacteria, in the sense that they can outcompete anaerobic bacteria as long as they have oxygen to work with. Oxygen acts like an accelerant – it allows aerobic bacteria to breed faster, break down organic molecules faster, and generate more energy. What this all means is that aerobic composters can work very quickly. But, aerobic bacteria can quickly use up all the available oxygen and die off. The key to an aerobic composter is good ventilation.

Aerobic composters, such as the Nature Mill Indoor Composter, require mechanical help to inject fresh air. Compost naturally tries to settle into lumps, and these lumps are not very permeable to oxygen. With a tumbling screw to break up the clumps, and an air pump to bring in fresh oxygen, the Automatic Countertop Composter makes sure that aerobic bacteria have everything that they need. The filtering system keeps smells to a minimum and actively eliminates odor.

Anaerobic composters are also available. These composters work without oxygen, and odor isn’t a concern for them because they’re airtight. Composters like the Indoor Kitchen Composter rely on the bacteria found in Bokashi. Bokashi is a Japanese term that describes a mix of bacteria in a growth medium (usually rice hulls or saw dust mixed with molasses, corn syrup, or sorghum). Each time that new waste is added to the bin, it’s important to add a new layer of Bokashi on top.

Anaerobic composters will break down the compost at a microscopic level, but they require the help of aerobic bacteria to complete the process. After the composter fills up with partially digested waste, it’s important to bury the compost outside in a small trench, or in a pot full of healthy soil. This final stage will happen very quickly (anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks depending on temperature and soil conditions), and will not produce much odor.

Both aerobic and anaerobic composters will get the job done. If you want faster results and don’t mind the noise of a pump or mechanical screw, then the Nature Mill Composter is a better bet. If you want a less expensive model and prefer your compost to be out of sight, odor-free, and silent, then a Bokashi Composter is the right one for you.

Photo courtesy of goforgr33n at Flickr.com.

Photo courtesy of MJ Monty at Flickr.com.

In an average house, the kitchen is where 80-90% of all organic scraps come from. The cutting board creates a steady stream of waste, from apple seeds and peach pits to avocado shells. It’s also where potato peels, the tops of strawberries, and bell pepper stems gather. Food scraps can quickly attract insects and rodents, so its important to dispose of them in a timely way, but these high volume fruit and vegetable scraps can be quite a handful. They not only take up lots of space, but they can be messy and awkward to carry across carpet. So, the kitchen is a logical place to put a bucket or pail for gathering scraps.

If you have a compost pile or composter in the back yard, a kitchen compost pail is a great accessory. These airtight pails are designed to control odor, and they can store compost scraps for days or weeks. Carrying compost out of the house during a rain or snowstorm can be an unpleasant experience, but with a kitchen compost holder you can stay inside where it’s warm and dry. There’s no reason to make a trip out to the composter whenever you generate new scraps; instead, just put them in a kitchen crock and consolidate multiple trips into one!

Photo courtesy of Maria Sews at Flickr.com.

Photo courtesy of Sustainable Harvest International at Flickr.com.

Does your town collect leaves in the fall and Christmas trees in January? Often, this garbage is taken to a central location and shredded for use in landscaping all around town. Throughout the year, tree trimmings and grass clippings are often added to municipal compost heaps. Many cities offer this mulch and compost made from this mulch for a fee. Depending on how much money your town spends to support the program, these community composting centers can offer high grade compost or questionable compost contaminated with unhealthy scraps.

There’s no need to go to the town compost pile. Instead, turn to your back yard and take control over the compost that you use. Home composters are available that can handle any amount of kitchen scraps or yard waste. There are large and small composters available in just about any shape or color. For the fastest results, there are even tumbling composters and worm composters.

Composting with worms is very rewarding, because worms do all of the work of aerating and turning a compost pile for you. Instead of using a pitchfork to turn partially decayed compost, you can sit back and relax, knowing that your worms are happily at work. Worms work at all hours of the day, and they will quickly reproduce until their numbers match the available food supply. This biological feedback loop ensures that worm bins break down food scraps quickly and without wasting any effort.

Worm composters are self contained, and they don’t require any expensive supplies. In fact, they take “worthless” trash and convert it into high quality fertilizer, which can add up to some big savings. Home composting reduces the volume of trash that you throw away, and some garbage companies charge based on volume. Vermicomposting also saves money because it reduces the cost of landscaping and creates a soil amendment that’s perfect for filling cracks or depressions in the yard.

Photo courtesy of quapan at Flickr.com.

Photo courtesy of amaratala at Flickr.com.

It’s easy to make compost at home. You can start a compost pile outside and put 3-6 months of back breaking labor into sorting and stirring your organic garbage with a rake. Or, you can outsource the hard work. No, I’m not talking about kidnapping Oompa Loompas — there are better workers who don’t sing and are less likely to cause headaches with OSHA. They’re even available at the local bait shop and pet store. I’m talking about worms.

Turning your kitchen scraps into compost is what worms enjoy doing. They dream of finding big piles of banana peels and coffee grounds! Give them exactly what they want, and you’ll have a happy workforce. To start your sweat shop, all you need is a worm bin. Prefab worm bins are available in wood, plastic, and metal – they’re all tailored to the special needs of worms. If you’re handy with tools, you can even make your own worm bin. Just make sure to choose or build a bin that offers protection from UV light, good ventilation, quick drainage, and shelter from predators.

When choosing a worm composter, there are a few rules of thumb that may help. You’ll need about two square feet of area per person who will be contributing to the bin. So, if you have 2 people in your living in your household, it’s best to start with a bin that’s at least 2 foot wide by 2 foot long (4 square feet). If you have 4 people, then an 8 square foot bin would be more appropriate. To keep rodents out, the holes should be no bigger than 1/4″ in diameter. The lid is also important – look for one that’s lightweight and easy to lift with one hand, but sturdy and opaque to UV light.

Line the bottom of your compost bin with shredded newspaper or paperwork (just watch out for metallic inks – avoid any magazine pages with glossy coatings or chemical residue). On top of the bedding, add the first pail of kitchen scraps, and then cover the food waste with a few shovelfuls of healthy soil. When the worm bin is ready, you also need to stock it with worms. Pick up a carton of Red Wigglers from the tackle shop, and pour them into your worm bin. You can also use other species of worms, but not all worms will do well in shallow worm bins.

Photo courtesy of rosepetal236 at Flickr.com.