The fact is that many of us are apartment or condo dwellers, without the benefit of a lawn or garden. It may seem that composting just doesn’t fit into our lifestyle at the moment. However, with the advent of apartment composting, apartment dwellers can conveniently contribute to cutting waste by allowing nature to break down refuse.
Especially feasible in apartments with balconies or rooftops, composting can even be done indoors. Building your own composter is actually not too big a job. To begin, use a fairly large metal or plastic container, such as a commercial garbage can. Good drainage is important, so create at least four or five holes in the bottom of the container, then place a catch basin underneath to retain any liquids. Next, create a false bottom three to six inches from the bottom of the container by using wire mesh and bricks or sticks and twigs.
Add an airstack, or a way of providing aeration as this is very important in the composting process. You can use a piece of plumber’s pipe or weeping tile with holes put up and down the piping. The pipe should come up the center of your compost can and protrude through the top of the tight fitting lid to allow air flow throughout the container. Heat from the sun will allow composting to occur, so place it near a window if indoors, leaving enough room surrounding it for air circulation. Add soil and mulched leaves, creating a bed in the bottom. Now go ahead and add organic waste in small shredded pieces, keeping in mind that for about every five inches of waste, you should add about one inch of soil or mulch. Keep the pile moist and turn the contents regularly to facilitate breakdown. In about four to six months, you’ll have beautiful rich soil in which to grow your favorite potted plants!
Other options for composting include Vermicomposting, which employs worms to break down organic waste. Or, think about community composting together with others in your building. Establish a location and keep a compost bin there for the convenience of all. Or if you prefer, there are various models of commercial units becoming available such as those provided by ENSOL Waste Management.
So, the next time you go to empty those coffee grinds or dump vegetable peel in a plastic garbage bag, think of the good you could do by implementing apartment composting! It’s the circle of life, and it works wonders to reduce waste.
